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Contents:
Frequently Asked Questions
Will all meals be free for students in SY 2022-23?
No, meals may not all be served and/or claimed as free in SY 2022-23. Free/reduced meal applications must be collected. Schools cannot require a parent to complete a meal application, nor can they withhold schedules or grades for not completing a form. The economically disadvantaged form does not take the place of a free/reduced meal application, nor does it approve a child for free/reduced meals.
What meal patterns do we follow for SY 2022-23?
In SY 2022-23, school districts are required to follow meal patterns outlined in the National School Lunch/Breakfast program.
What school year do I use for the 30-day carryover of students for SY 2022-23?
USDA is allowing schools to carry over the free/reduced status of a student that completed an application in SY 2019-20, since that may be most current status available for a student. Many schools took free/reduced meal applications during the last two school years, but the return was poor due to COVID.
How much do I charge my paid students for meals?
USDA is allowing any school with a positive balance in their Child Nutrition Non-profit Food Service Account as of December 31, 2021, to charge the same amount for meals as the 2019-20 school year. If a school's Child Nutrition Non-profit Food Service Account had a negative balance, please contact OSDE's Office of Child Nutrition at (405) 521-3327 for guidance on how to complete the Paid Lunch Equity Tool to determine what to charge for a paid lunch.
Will there be any waivers for Child Nutrition for SY 2022-23?
USDA has not issued any blanket waivers for SY 2022-23 but is allowing states to apply for certain state-level waivers. OSDE's Office of Child Nutrition has applied for and been approved for several state waivers tied specifically to COVID for SY 2022-23. These waivers must be applied for when and/or if a COVID resurgence occurs.
Can OSDE's Office of Child Nutrition apply for waivers regarding the free/reduced process, meal patterns or a higher reimbursement rate?
No, states cannot request waivers for these specific items. Only Congress can approve this type of flexibility.
What if I have more than a three-month operating balance in my Child Nutrition account?
Please spend down as much as possible per program requirements. USDA has indicated that they will release further guidance regarding the ability for a state to allow more than a three-month carryover at a later date.
Has USDA issued the reimbursement rates for SY 2022-23?
No, as of June 21, 2022, USDA has not released the rates for SY 2022-23. Once those rates are released, they will be updated in the CARS system and OSDE will contact districts via email.
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for SY 2022-23
Districts must confirm their decision to elect CEP for school year 2022-23 to OSDE by June 30.
If you are interested in CEP or Provision 2 or 3, contact Nikki Assad or Becky Gray at (405) 521-3327.
New Non-Discrimination Statement
USDA has issued a new non-discrimination statement that must be included on all materials related to child nutrition.
View the full statement here.
If the full statement does not fit on printed materials, districts may substitute the following: “This institution is an equal opportunity provider.”
Please note that districts must use the full statement if posting on their district and/or school website.
 View the OSDE Reporting Requirements Calendar for upcoming deadlines and reporting details.
The FY 2021-22 Gun-Free Schools Act and Annual School Incident Report is due Friday in Single Sign-On.
Once the information is compiled, district superintendents must certify the report on the welcome page.
If you have questions, contact Emily Hicks at emily.hicks@sde.ok.gov.
The Education for Homeless Children & Youth District Census Report is now open in Single Sign-On.
This report collects information regarding the number of students identified as experiencing homelessness by grade level and their primary nighttime residence, subgroups of identified homeless students, the processes LEAs follow to identify homeless children and youth, and services provided for homeless children and youth.
All districts are required to complete this report.
The report is due June 30.
If you have questions, contact Tammy Smith at tammy.smith@sde.ok.gov or (405) 522-3260.
Members of the K-12 school community are invited to join the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on June 28 for an informational webinar on preventing and protecting against potential physical attacks and threats in schools.
The webinar will provide an overview of the physical threats schools face plus various CISA resources available for school personnel to help address and prevent these threats.
Webinar: Enhancing Physical Security in Schools
June 28, 2-3 p.m.
Register here
If you have questions, contact the CISA School Safety Task Force at schoolsafety@hq.dhs.gov.
The Special Education Directors Summit is a "train the trainer" event meant to equip special education directors with the information and materials they need to return to their districts and train colleagues. The purpose is to build district staff capacity in developing robust REDs, MEEGS and IEPs in light of the new Policies and Procedures manual, EDPlan updates and best practices.
Only one director per district may attend.
Find a location near you to register:
July 12 - Woodward
Register here
July 13 - Elk City
Register here
July 14 - Lawton
Register here
July 15 - Moore
Register here
July 19 - Owasso
Register here
July 20 - McAlester
Register here
July 22 - Durant
Register here
This free professional development for district leaders, leadership teams and instructional coaches will cover "Leading the Rebound," which aims to magnify effective teaching practices from before the pandemic while leveraging the lessons learned during pandemic teaching.
Through this professional learning workshop, participants will engage in an active and empowering learning experience that will help your school(s):
- Rebuild teacher agency and collective efficacy
- Ensure the highest quality teaching and learning
- Maintain and strengthen school culture and climate
Each participant will receive a free copy of "Leading the Rebound."
Leading the Rebound PD
July 26, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City
Register here
If you have questions, contact Robin Anderson at robin.anderson@sde.ok.gov.
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