Minnesota Department of Education Nutrition Program Updates for the Week of June 5, 2017
June 6, 2017
We have a new look! Please click on the links below to direct you to the program area you're interested in.
Have you received your USDA Foods credit?
Food and Nutrition wants to remind schools using a vended meal provider (caterer) or a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) to audit billing from vendors to be sure you have received credit for the USDA Foods the vendor used in preparation of meals for the school. It is a USDA regulation that the full value of USDA Foods is credited back to the school. The USDA Foods Received Report for the Auditor (available on the MDE website) lists the USDA Foods received for each SFA and the total value for the last three years. This is the amount of credit you should receive. Vendors may provide the credit monthly, quarterly, or annually as outlined in your contract with the vendor. Schools should not be charged any delivery or handling fees for USDA Foods. Work with your accountant, auditor, and vendor to ensure you have received the full credit.
Meal Pattern Flexibilities in Process
Earlier this month, Sonny Perdue, the newly appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture announced that the USDA will provide greater flexibility in nutrition requirements for school meal programs in order to make food choices both healthful and appealing to students. The opportunities will pertain to whole grains, sodium, and milk.
Whole Grains: The USDA will allow states to grant exemptions to schools experiencing hardship in serving 100 percent of grain products as whole-grain rich for School Year 2017-2018. If your SFA would like to apply for the whole grain-rich exemption, please complete the exemption form, Exemption – Whole Grain-Rich Menu Items.
Sodium: For school years 2017-2018 through 2020, schools will not be required to meet Sodium Target 2. Instead, schools that meet Sodium Target 1 will be considered compliant. The USDA is starting the necessary regulatory actions to implement the change. The USDA will dedicate significant resources to providing technical assistance to schools as they continue to develop menus that are low in sodium and appealing to students.
Milk: The USDA will allow schools to have more options for students who select milk as part of their lunch or breakfast. The Minnesota Department of Education is developing a milk waiver form to allow schools to serve one percent flavored milk through the school meals programs. The waiver will be available in the next few weeks. This does not apply to CACFP.
Meal Charge Policy Required by July 1, 2017; Prototype Template Available
The USDA and MDE recognize that unpaid meal charges represent a difficult and complex issue directly impacting the schools participating in our programs. According to a survey taken in 2010, 58 percent of Local Education Authorities (LEAS) had unpaid meal costs. Beginning July 1, 2017, all School Food Authorities (SFAs) operating a national school lunch or breakfast program must develop a meal charge policy or procedure. It is not required that the local school board approve the policy, however it would be a best practice.
We have developed a template policy that is available on the FNS website for SFAs to use to begin or update current policies: Unpaid Meal Charge and Debt Collection Procedure. In addition, other resources are available on the MDE website: download meal charge policy resources. The Meal Charge Policy will be reviewed at the time of an Administrative Review.
Reminder – School Outreach for Summer Programs
This is a reminder about the school meals requirement (7 CFR 210.12(d)) for SFAs to annually inform families about Summer Food Service Programs (SFSP) sites where students can obtain free meals when school is not in session. Information should be provided to families before the end of the school year, through the means normally used to communicate with families like a newsletter, email and website.
Summer sites may be sponsored either by the SFA or by private nonprofit organizations. To find information about SFSP sites in an SFA’s attendance area, go to the National Hunger Hotline (https://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks) or call 1-866-3-HUNGRY.
Previously Announced School Nutrition Program Updates
New Meal Requirements Memo
The USDA recently released a memo, SP 30-2017, which outlines a new transition period for the updated Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal patterns, as well as the updated infant and preschool meal patterns in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
The USDA recognizes that meeting the updated infant and preschool meal patterns will be a challenge. SFAs must meet the updated meal pattern requirements starting October 1, 2017, but USDA also has established a transition period. During that one-year transition period starting October 1, 2017, MDE will focus on assisting SFAs to adjust to the updated requirements for infants and preschoolers. No fiscal actions will be taken during the transition period.
School Food Authorities may begin using the updated meal patterns for this age group at the start of their school year. The updated NSLP and SBP meal pattern requirements for preschool children align with the CACFP meal pattern. There are differences between the pre-school meal pattern and the school-aged meal pattern. View updated preschool lunch meal pattern requirements and preschool breakfast meal pattern requirements on the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations website. If you’d like to begin full implementation prior to October 1, complete the short survey Request for Full Early Implementation of Child and Adult Care Food Program Revised Meal Patterns (estimated five-minute length) to obtain approval for early implementation.
USDA Memos: Revised Free and Reduced-Price Application and Accommodating Disabilities in the School Meal Programs
Memo – Revised Prototype Free and Reduced Price Application for SY 2017-2018 (SP 28-2017)
Minor updates to the USDA prototype meal application. (SFAs should refer to MDE’s 2017-2018 Application for Educational Benefits, which has been posted to the MDE website.)
Memo – Accommodating Disabilities in the School Meal Programs: Guidance and Questions and Answers (Q&As) (SP 26-2017)
This Q&A discusses common situations about accommodating disabilities in school meal programs. USDA emphasizes that the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 simplified the question of whether a child has a disability. Most physical and mental impairments constitute a disability. The central concern for SFAs should be encouraging equal access to program benefits for children with disabilities.
SFAs continue to have the option to make accommodations for reasons other than disability; for example, food preferences. Other accommodations:
- Are at the discretion of the SFA.
- Must meet the meal pattern and be reimbursable.
- Do not need a statement from a “recognized medical authority.”
2017-2018 Paid Lunch Price Screen Open in CLiCS
The 2017-2018 Paid Lunch Price screen is now open in CLiCS. Please enter your 2017-18 paid lunch prices in the fields provided. Grade Grouping definitions are:
- Elementary K-5.
- Middle/Junior High 6-8.
- High School 9-12.
Please enter your most frequently charged paid meal price for all grades that apply in the appropriate category, even if not all grades in the category are served. If you do not serve any grade in a particular category, enter N/A.
Example: If your school serves K-6, enter your most frequently charged paid meal price in both the Elementary and Middle/Junior High categories and N/A for High School.
If you are non-pricing, either by choice or by provision, enter $0.00 in the appropriate category.
Example: If your school serves grades 9-12 and all schools are operating under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), enter N/A for Elementary, N/A for Middle/Junior High and $0.00 for High School.
The screen will remain visible until all sponsors have completed this requirement. If you have already entered your 2017-18 prices, simply choose the area on the left you wish to access. Changes can be made until the option is closed.
School Nutrition Programs Administrative Review Schedule for 2017-2018
The list of schools receiving an administrative review from MDE in 2017-2018 is now available. Specific reviewer assignments will be made this summer and the School Food Authorities will be contacted early fall 2017 with additional information. The review list and additional resources may be accessed on the State Administrative Review webpage. Optional training resources related to the administrative review may be accessed on the School Nutrition Program Training webpage.
Previously Announced Child and Adult Care Food Program Updates
New Meal Requirements Memo
The USDA recently released Memo CACFP-13, which outlines a transition period for the updated Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal patterns. The USDA recognizes that meeting the updated CACFP Meal Patterns will be a challenge. Program operators must meet the updated requirements starting October 1, 2017, but USDA also has established a transition period. During that one-year transition period starting October 1, 2017, MDE will focus on assisting program operators to adjust to the updated requirements. No fiscal actions will be taken during the transition period.
Updated Meal Pattern Requirements: Full Early Implementation Open Now
The newly updated meal pattern requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and School Breakfast Program (SBP) strengthen the nutrition quality of the meals served, allow for more diverse and culturally appropriate foods, and address dietary needs of participants. Those operating USDA's nutrition programs must comply with the new meal pattern requirements no later than October 1, 2017. However, Food & Nutrition Service supports implementing the updated meal patterns as soon as possible.
CACFP sponsors who want to begin full implementation prior to October 1 should complete the short survey Request for Full Early Implementation of Child and Adult Care Food Program Revised Meal Patterns (estimated five-minute length) to obtain written approval for early implementation. New CACFP meal pattern resources can be found on the MDE website under Food Service Operations.
School Nutrition Program Sponsors are encouraged to begin using the updated NSLP and SBP meal pattern requirements at the start of the school year. Changes for children under 5 years old provide consistency with the CACFP meal pattern. Schools are encouraged to complete the early implementation survey; updated preschool lunch meal pattern requirements and preschool breakfast meal pattern requirements can be found on the Electric Code of Federal Regulations website.
USDA Memo – Revisions to Instructions for the Calculations of Average Daily Attendance
Memo – Revisions to Instructions for the Calculation of Average Daily Attendance on the Form FNS-418 (USDA SFSP 09-2017).
USDA uses data on average daily attendance (ADA) to describe the reach of SFSP on a daily basis across the country. The Minnesota Department of Education uses monthly claim data on meal counts and operating days to report ADA data for each sponsoring organization annually to USDA. The accuracy of this reporting to USDA is dependent on the accuracy of sponsoring organizations’ claims.
Farm to Early Care Webinar Series – June 6, 13 and 20
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) is hosting a three-part Farm to Early Care webinar series, designed to empower anyone working in an early care and education setting to purchase fresh locally grown foods, incorporate food- and farming-themed lessons into the classroom, and engage parents and caregivers in Farm to Early Care activities. Farm to Early Care programs are good for kids, good for farmers and good for communities. Join us on the first three Tuesdays in June to learn more! More information and registration is available on the IATP website.
Local Wellness Policy Training
In partnership with HealthPartners, Action for Health Kids – Minnesota (AFHK) is providing a no-cost, half-day training to wellness committees, community partners and interested individuals on Thursday, June 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The training will prepare attendees with the knowledge and understanding to move local wellness policies forward. Resources from local community partners and Action for Healthy Kids will be provided to implement and meet the federally mandated school wellness policy. Register on the Action for Healthy Kids website.
A certificate of attendance will be provided. Breakfast will be served. One lucky participant will win a wellness gift pack worth $250 for their school.
The training is recommended for:
- School health teams or individual team members.
- Active teams, teams just starting out or potential team members.
- Teachers, school staff, district staff, parents and community members.
- Community partners.
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