North Dakota Department of Public Instruction

USDA Foods in Schools Program Updates

North Dakota Department of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 02/12/2026 01:43 PM CST

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USDA Foods in Schools Program Updates

February 2026

As we move further into the second half of the school year, planning for 2026–2027 is already underway across North Dakota. Thank you to everyone who attended the USDA Foods Annual Survey Training.

Following the training, the updated Planning Tool was distributed to assist with pre-planning before the Annual Food Survey opens on Tuesday, Feb. 17. While use of the tool is optional, districts are strongly encouraged to review historical usage, projected participation, and monthly delivery needs before completing the survey.

With upcoming changes to ND Foods ordering, flexibility to adjust product selections after the survey period will be more limited. Careful forecasting now will help ensure alignment between entitlement balances and product utilization for the 2026–2027 school year

🥗Food Updates

📦March Orders

March orders are now closed. Schools are encouraged to log in to ND Foods to review their orders. The March orders now include the additional March survey items that was posted.

📦April Orders

April orders are currently in open status in ND Foods and may be reviewed. Orders have been reviewed by the state; however, minor adjustments to food items may still occur.

An additional April survey has been posted in ND Foods. The survey includes any remaining warehouse inventory and is open to all schools. Preference will be given to schools with remaining entitlement when determining allocation of available products.

All schools should have received an email with current warehouse inventory levels.

📦State Match Update

USDA regulations require States to match funding to assist schools with the USDA Food Program. Annually, North Dakota allocates approximately $690,000 of State match funds to Sponsors participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the USDA School Food Distribution Program (SCH).

For the upcoming school year, the state has restructured the distribution of state match funds. As a result of this restructuring, it is our goal to cover close to 100% of warehouse and transportation costs for all schools. This adjustment is intended to provide more equitable support across districts and help reduce the financial burden associated with receiving USDA Foods.

While final allocations will depend on overall participation and total program costs, we are optimistic that the revised state match approach will allow the state to absorb nearly all warehouse and transportation fees.

🏫2026-2027 School Year

Entitlement

The estimated SY 2026–2027 entitlement has been updated in ND Foods.

Entitlement estimates are currently based on total lunches served during SY 2024–2025. Lunch counts will be recalculated in November 2026 to reflect SY 2025–2026 total lunches served.

The current estimated per-meal rate is $0.46. This rate is subject to change and may be updated in July when the official per-meal rate is published in the Federal Register.

Sponsors can view their updated estimated entitlement in ND Foods under the sponsor profile.

Annual Food Survey

The Annual Food Survey will be available in ND Foods beginning Tuesday, Feb. 17, and will close on Friday, Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. Central Time.

The products and quantities selected on the Annual Food Survey will determine the USDA Foods ordered for the 2026–2027 school year. Schools will be held to the products and amounts submitted on the survey.

If a specific product selected on the survey is not purchased, an alternative product option will be made available to allow sponsors to utilize their entitlement funds.

Each sponsor is required to complete the Annual Food Survey. Failure to submit a survey may limit the variety of USDA Foods available to your district.

Careful planning during this period is critical, as flexibility to adjust products and quantities after the survey closes will be limited.

New/Updated Processed Foods

The following processed food vendors and associated products will remain unchanged:

Cargill (egg products)
Cavendish (potato products)
Yangs (Asian foods)
Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson (chicken products)
Land O Lakes (cheese products)

Beef Products – Vendor Update

Beef was re-bid and two vendors, JTM and Tyson (Advance Pierre) were awarded.

Pizza Products - Vendor Update

Pizza products were rebid for the upcoming school year. As a result:

Nardone's was awarded 14 products.
Schwan's was awarded six products

In addition, the USDA value discount per case will increase. Currently, the USDA value discount reflects the value of mozzarella only. Beginning next school year, the USDA value will include mozzarella, tomato paste, and flour. This will increase the total USDA value discount applied per case.

📅Upcoming Food Survey Dates

➡️ SY 2026-2027 Annual food survey: open Feb. 17–27

➡️ August 2026 survey: open March 30–April 12

➡️ September 2026 survey: open April 20–May 3

All surveys close at 11 a.m. Central time on the closing date.

For all USDA Food Distribution inquiries, please contact:

Tara Koster tkoster@nd.gov

CONTACT OUR OFFICE:

NDDPI Child Nutrition and Food Distribution
Main Office:
600 E. Boulevard Ave, Dept 201
Bismarck, ND 58505
PHONE: 701-328-2294 or 888-338-3663
FAX: 701-328-9566
Email: dpicnfd@nd.gov

Mayville Office:
14 Main St E, Mayville, ND 58257
PHONE: 701-788-8901 or 888-788-8901
Website: https://www.nd.gov/dpi/districtsschools/child-nutrition-and-food-distribution

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Non Discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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600 East Boulevard Ave Dept 201, Bismarck, ND 58505-0440
(701) 328-2260
www.nd.gov/dpi

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