November 2025 Announcements

Thank You, 2025 SFSP Sponsors!

The Montana Office of Public Instruction extends our heartfelt thanks to the incredible Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors who made this summer a success. With your dedication and support, 1,051,444 meals were served to children across Montana—an increase of over 100,000 meals in the past two years!

Thanks to your efforts, 287 sites across the state provided nutritious meals to kids who needed them most. Together, you’ve helped keep Montana’s children fed, healthy, and ready to thrive.

We deeply appreciate every organization and partner who made this possible. If you have questions about the SFSP or are interested in bringing the program to your community, please contact Sarah Kuhn, RDN at sarah.kuhn2@mt.gov.

Thank you for your continued commitment to Montana’s kids!

Free & Reduced-Price Verification (begin October 1st)

Verification is the process by which schools confirm the eligibility of a sample of approved free and reduced-price meal applications.

The verification process starts on October 1st and deadline to collect household documentation and complete verification is November 15th.

Schools will report the verification results and October eligibility data on the School Food Authority (SFA) Verification Collection Report in MAPS beginning November 1^st and is due by November 30th.

Please carefully read through the instructions to ensure reporting accuracy.

Additional instructions can be found in the USDA’s Eligibility Manual.

Verification resources are available on the OPI SNP website:

• Verification Application Tracker
• Verification Error-Prone Sponsors 2025-26
• Verification Instructions
• Verification Instructions - CEP Districtwide
• Verification Instructions - Residential Only RCCI
• Verification: We Must Check Your Application- Household Notification of Verification Letter
• Verification: We Have Checked Your Application- Household Letter of Verification Results
• Verification Deadline Extension Request Form

Norovirus in Montana Norovirus season in Montana is upon us! Does your school need collection materials to have on hand for norovirus testing during an outbreak response? If so, you can order some from the Montana Public Health Lab using this link: https://form.jotform.com/242695002603046 Remember that norovirus and other gastrointestinal outbreaks are reportable to local and tribal public health, as well as to DPHHS. You can report an outbreak to DPHHS using the Jotform outbreak reporting app: https://hipaa.jotform.com/app/223254785775165/page/5 Resources on how to respond to norovirus outbreaks: Norovirus Toolkit for Schools and Daycares

USDA Foods Shipment 4

Thank You for Participating in Montana Crunch Off by Crunching into Montana Grown Products!  Don't forget to Register by October 31st to count your "Crunch" Click HERE to Register

The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.