Allowable Cost Reminders
The Non-Profit School Food Service Account receives federal funds through the claiming of reimbursable meals. This means the account is considered a federal fund and all expenditures must be a reasonable, necessary, and allocable direct cost to the program to be considered an allowable expenditure. The item(s) purchased must be intended for the sole use, operation, and improvement of the Child Nutrition Programs. The intent of a purchase should always be kept in mind. Before charging to the school account, sponsors should consider the following:
- “Is this a direct cost to my program?”
- A direct cost to the program is one that is only for the operation or improvement of the child nutrition programs. Foodservice should never be billed or charged directly for a percentage of a cost. It would not be appropriate for the Non-Profit School Food Service Account to pay 80% of the water bill every month because they use the most water. You cannot directly measure how much water was used to make the reimbursable meals and operate the program versus the rest of the building and therefore, it is not a direct charge to the program.
- “How is this purchase improving the production, serving, and claiming of reimbursable meals?”
- The intent of the program is to produce, serve and claim reimbursable meals and if a purchase is not directly improving this process, it may not be an allowable cost.
- “Are these purchases necessary to meet USDA regulations?”
- If this purchase is required to meet USDA regulations such as attending a conference to meet professional standards, the cost is considered allowable. Hosting a staff appreciation day may help boost morale, but would not be a requirement of USDA regulations and therefore may be considered unallowable with federal funds.
- “Who does this purchase impact most?”
- We should always try to remember the intent of the program is to benefit students participating in the Child Nutrition Programs. If a purchase is not benefitting the students, we should ask ourselves, “is it financially responsible to purchase this with federal funds?”
For more information about allowable cost please read General Expenditures - Examples of Allowable and Unallowable Costs.
Register Before Summer Break: Back to School Training - IN the Mix, Prepped for Success
IDOE is happy to announce the return of in-person back to school training. All food service personnel are invited to attend this day-long session in preparation for the 2024-2025 school year.
- When: Wednesday, July 10, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
- Where: Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel, Carmel, Indiana
- If you wish to stay overnight, a discount on the nightly room rate is available for the Renaissance Hotel here. If the Renaissance Hotel is unavailable or not your hotel of choice, additional hotels are located nearby.
- Additional Details: This training is free to attend and the cost of travel to the training is an allowable expenditure of food service funds. View a draft of the agenda, with learning tracks by job duties, here. Attendees will receive credit toward annual professional standards training hours. Lunch will be provided for attendees through the support of the American Dairy Association, Indiana.
- Please ensure each attendee has registered here.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) School of the Year
On Monday, May 6, the IDOE FFVP School of the Year award was presented to Joshua Academy Charter School in Evansville, Indiana. The food service department received a framed certificate and aprons printed with the FFVP School of the Year logo from IDOE. Piazza Produce sponsored a prize of $250 to be used for educational materials related to FFVP.
Pam Nunning, RN/Health and Wellness Coordinator, nominated Joshua Academy for the award. Nunning wrote that nutrition lessons about fruits and vegetables have been incorporated into the school day for math, art, language arts, and health. The bulletin board near the cafeteria showcases the snacks served each week. Some of the items provided to students included kiwi, cantaloupe, pears, star fruit, papaya, zucchini, radishes, snap peas, red cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.
This is the seventh year IDOE has recognized schools for creating a healthier school environment by providing fresh fruits and vegetables to students through the FFVP.
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SUN Bucks Contact
Please designate a SUN Bucks contact for your school/corporation. This person does not have to be the food service director, but needs to be reasonably available throughout the summer in the event that questions surrounding eligibility, enrollment, or custody arrangement situations arise. Complete contact designation form here.
Local Assistance
Please share information and resources regarding the basics of SUN Bucks with all school staff, including building level administration, administrative assistants, and teachers. Schools are responsible for providing individual eligibility assistance, as well as answering local questions from households and staff. Questions that cannot be answered locally, and address change requests, should be submitted on the online help form.
2024 Farm to School Symposium
The agenda and registration for the Farm to School and Early Care and Education (ECE) Symposium can be found on the Indiana Grown for School’s event page. The event will be held at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, June 18, and Wednesday, June 19. Participants will learn about gardening, local procurement, and agriculture education. All teaching, food service, and school administrative staff are welcome to attend. Interested programs are encouraged to design a poster to show off their farm to school programs. Posters should be approximately 24 by 36 inches. Contact Sophie Lindley with any questions or if you would like to create a poster.
Northeast Indiana Harvest of the Month Educational Videos
The Northeast Indiana Local Food Network is creating Harvest of the Month farm videos to show students how different fruits and vegetables are grown and how different farms operate in northeast Indiana. These videos give students the opportunity to virtually visit both urban and rural farms, and meet a diverse group of Indiana farmers. Currently, 14 of 24 planned videos are available. This project was made possible by generous support from a USDA Farm to School grant.
USDA Foods Warehouse Clear Out
Schools have until their last available delivery period under the Orders tab in CNPweb to order any direct delivered USDA Foods remaining at the state assigned warehouse, Dilgard Frozen Foods, Stanz-Troyers Foods or Wabash Foods. All USDA Foods for Processing at the processors must be ordered via the distributors. Any USDA Foods for Processing remaining at the processors as of Sunday, June 30, will carry over to the 2024-2025 school year.
End of School Year Reminders Video
This video shares reminders about tasks that need to be completed before summer break. IDOE will sweep all Direct Delivery (Brown Box) USDA Foods remaining in school inventories in CNPweb as of Monday, July 1.
SY 2024-2025 USDA Foods Direct Delivery Warehouses
IDOE has executed new contracts with two warehouses for SY 2024-2025. Dilgard Frozen Foods will cover the counties in northeastern region and Stanz-Troyers Foodservice will cover the remaining counties in the state. Click here for a map and list of county and regional assignments.
USDA Foods Recipes
Use your canned diced peaches in this variation of fruit salsa. This recipe can be made with USDA Foods and must be adjusted to meet serving sizes and meal patterns.
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Spring Webinars from IDOE
- Wellness Policies: Join us to discuss the ins and outs of wellness policies with tips on outreach and organizing a wellness committee for the next school year. Thursday, May 16, at 2 p.m. ET - register here.
- Rescheduled - Professional Standards: This webinar will cover best practices for annual professional standards training requirements for all school nutrition professionals and discuss hiring standards for new school nutrition program directors. Thursday, May 23, at 2 p.m. ET - register here.
- This webinar was rescheduled to allow schools to attend the USDA Final Rule webinar on Thursday, May 9.
NSLP Equipment Grant Application Now Available
Applications for the 2023 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant will be accepted through Friday, May 31. Instructions and application can be found here. Frequently asked questions can be found here. Email SCNFinance@doe.in.gov with questions regarding this funding opportunity. Please include your sponsor number and “Equipment Grant” in the subject line.
School Food Service Employee of the Year
During a school assembly on Friday, May 3, Angie Jones, Food Service Manager at Avon Intermediate School West of Avon Community School Corporation, received IDOE’s 2024 School Food Service Employee of the Year award. Jones received a plaque and a check for $200 from the American Dairy Association Indiana, Inc. Amber Walters, Avon Intermediate School West’s principal, nominated Jones for the award, sharing that Jones radiates positivity each day and in turn, the cafeteria at Avon Intermediate West is a positive place for students. Jones ensures that students are only served the highest quality of food each day, and takes great pride in managing a safe, positive cafeteria and kitchen to take the best care of students, families, and staff. This is the 27th year IDOE has recognized school food service employees who contribute significantly to the health and learning capabilities of students.
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Upcoming Dates |
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Thursday, May 16, at 2 p.m. ET
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Wellness Policies
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Thursday, May 23, at 2 p.m. ET
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Professional Standards (Rescheduled)
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Monday, May 27
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Food Education Fellowship Application Deadline
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Friday, May 31
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2023 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant Application Deadline
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Tuesday, June 18, and Wednesday, June 19
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Farm to School and ECE Symposium
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Wednesday, July 10, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
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IN the Mix: Back to School Training
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Tuesday, August 27
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Summer EBT Final Rule Comments Extended Deadline
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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