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Due to the pandemic, many Local Education Agencies (LEAs) have experienced challenges in purchasing and receiving through normal channels.
For SY 21–22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has provided school meal program flexibilities, waivers, and training resources to help LEAs navigate supply chain issues while still providing nutritious school meals that children need to learn, grow, and be healthy.
Register Here!
Date: Friday, August 13
Time: 12 – 1 pm PT
Questions? Please email USDA's Team Nutrition inbox.
The School Meal Programs’ renewal application for SY 21–22 is officially open in WINS.
Applications for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) are due by August 30 for Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCI) and September 30 for Local Education Agencies (LEA).
Please follow the instructions provided in the bulletins to ensure the renewal process is complete. A Renewal Information Guide is also available to assist you in this process.
Bulletins Released
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Seamless Summer Option
Local Education Agencies operating the SSO must complete the application process outlined in B053-21 Seamless Summer Option Application for School Year 2021–22 – Public School District/Private Schools.
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National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program
Local Education Agencies operating the NSLP and SBP must complete the application process outlined in B055-21 National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs Application for School Year 2021–22 – Public School District/Private Schools.
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Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs)
Residential Child Care Institutions operating the NSLP and SBP must complete the application process outlined in B039-21: National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP) sponsor application materials for Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs) for School Year 2021–22.
General Reminders
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SY 21–22 Meal Distribution Plans (MDP)
The SY 21–22 Meal Distribution Plan must be submitted, in addition to the WINS application. Within the survey, you may apply for specific waivers. Waivers may be implemented “only for the extent and duration needed" and approval will be on a case-by-case basis. Sponsors should wait to submit their MDP until operational plans have been determined.
- The MDP and WINS application should align. If operation is unclear and the MDP does not align with WINS, applications will be returned and a new MDP may be required.
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Meal Service Schedules
A separate meal service schedule should be created in the WINS site calendar to capture "grab and go" meal distribution times at open and closed enrolled sites. The schedule’s end date should reflect the date of waiver expiration (December 31, 2021 or sooner depending on waiver request).
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August Operating Dates
Please contact your Program Specialist for instructions on how to add August to your site calendar.
Resources
Questions? Contact your Program Specialist.
The July claim due date falls on Sunday, August 15. Child Nutrition Services staff will be available until 5pm on Friday, August 13, to assist with claim errors or questions.
WINS will be available to input claims until 5:00 pm PT, Sunday, August 15. At 5pm, WINS will log sponsors out of the system in order to run the monthly payment process.
Best Practice - Submit claims early in case an error comes up and you need assistance. We will have staff available until 5 pm PT, Friday, August 13.
General Claiming Reminders
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FSMC & Vended Sponsors – Correct your Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Average Daily Attendance (ADA) Before Claiming
- Meals claimed in excess of the CAP count for a site will result in a claim error. SFSP sponsors must make Average Daily Attendance (ADA) revisions prior to submitting monthly claims. Specialists must approve revisions before claims can process for payment.
- Revised ADA's will not be approved for claims that go into error status due to meals claimed over the approved CAP.
- Compare the Average Number of Meals to the approved CAP. If the Average exceeds the CAP, increase the ADA in your site calendar and email your Program Specialist.
- Here is a quick equation to determine whether the ADA should be revised: Total Meals Served / Number of Operating Days = Average Number of Meals per day.
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Working with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) or Vendor? FSMCs and Vended Sponsors cannot be reimbursed for any meals above the 120% of the ADA. Update the ADA prior to submitting the claim for the excess meals to be reimbursed.
- Monthly claim data must be in "OK to Pay" status by 5:00 pm PT on the 15th.
- Didn't submit your claim by the 15th? That's okay! Submit your monthly claim by the 60-day deadline.
- Errors must be resolved for claims to be paid. WINS has multiple edit checks to help resolve issues before your claim is submitted.
- Pro-Tip: Always select “Preview Errors” at the bottom of each site claim once information is entered.
For more detailed reminders and resources, please review the Claim Reminder in our February Update.
Have Questions? Please contact Hydie Kidd, Fiscal Supervisor, or Pam Fravel, Fiscal Analyst.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) application is corrected in WINS!
Sponsors who wish to administer the CEP must complete their program application in the Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS) by August 31, 2021.
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Unfamiliar with CEP? You can explore our CEP webpage and read our CEP Reference Sheet.
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Unsure if your schools are eligible for CEP? You can look at the 2020-21 CEP-Eligible LEA & School Report to get an idea if your schools will be eligible.
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SY21–22 Deadlines USDA released COVID–19: Child Nutrition Response #82, which allows flexibility for the date for calculating the Identified Student Percentage (ISP), and an extension for the deadline to apply for CEP .
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Data used to calculate ISP- Use dates any time between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
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Application deadline- August 31, 2021.
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
The School Year (SY) 21–22 SSO Letter to Households is Now Available in Spanish!
Earlier this year, we announced that we are getting documents translated into additional languages. We're happy to share that the SSO Letter to Families Template is now available in Spanish!
Due to the large number of documents, we will receive additional translations over the next two weeks. Please continue to check the Meal Application and Verification webpage for updates.
Last week, the Washington Department of Health (DOH) released updated guidance on K-12 COVID-19 Requirements for Summer 2021 and the 2021–2022 School Year. Updates in this version reflect recently released Center for Disease Control's (CDC) recommendations for schools and seek to achieve two primary goals:
- Minimize transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff in K–12 schools and to their families and broader community.
- Maximize in-person instruction.
Summary of Changes
- Vaccination and face coverings/masks are the most effective tools to prevent transmission of COVID-19.
- All staff and students must continue to wear face coverings/masks, regardless of vaccination status.
- Physical distancing requirements have been updated to support full time in-person instruction.
- Information on how schools should “layer” mitigation strategies for the best outcome is provided.
- Quarantine protocols have been updated to reduce student exclusions from instruction.
- Expanded information on diagnostic and screening testing is provided.
- Updated links to relevant Labor & Industries orders are provided.
- General alignment updates to COVID-19 language are made.
- Extra- and Co-Curricular requirements will be published in early August.
Overview of Prevention Measures
For SY 21–22, schools must plan to provide full time in-person education for all interested students with the following required mitigation measures: face coverings/masks, physical distancing, improving ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, cleaning and disinfecting, staying home when sick and seeking evaluation, testing as indicated, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, responding to cases of COVID-19, and meeting the reporting requirements to public health.
Visit K-12 COVID-19 Requirements for Summer 2021 and the 2021-2022 School Year on DOH’s webpage for more information and check out the CDC Modifying School Spaces during Mealtimes resource for help modifying your mealtime spaces to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released Child Nutrition Program reimbursement rates for the upcoming school year.
Rates are effective for the time period of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.
You may now submit your July claim for reimbursement.
USDA Foods Commodity Rates
USDA recently released the Value of Donated Foods rates for July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022. The SY 21–22 per meal rate for NSLP and CACFP is $0.2600 cents, which is an increase from $0.2450 in SY 20–21.
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For NSLP the effective SY21 NSLP rate $0.3975 (the sum of the per meal rate ($0.2600 cents) plus the 12% provision dollars and the $20M breakfast monies). This is an increase from the $0.3700 estimate entered in WBSCM in January. The Planned Assistance Level (PAL) is based on the Total Lunches Served from the previous school year.
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The CACFP per meal cash in lieu of USDA foods rate will increase to $0.2600. The Planned Assistance Level (PAL) is based on the total number of lunches and suppers served from the previous school year.
OSPI CNS is hosting several trainings to help you in the upcoming school year!
1. School Meal Programs Annual Training
Join us as we discuss the upcoming year, things to expect, and updates.
Register Here!
Date: Wednesday, August 11
Time: 1:30–3:00 pm PT
2. SSO Launching Point Training
In SY 21–22, Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will be allowed to operate the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) in lieu of the National School Lunch Program. Join us to discover how to operate the SSO!
Register Here!
Date: Thursday, August 19
Time: 1–4 pm PT
For more information about this training, please review our 7/26 Seamless Summer Option Training article.
NEW! Check out the SY 21–22 Seamless Summer Option short trainings! These short trainings are perfect for you or your staff and review topics such as Meal Patterns, Offer vs Serve, Production Records, Point of Service, and Special Dietary Needs for those operating SSO in SY 21–22.
3. ICN's Financial Management for Managers Training
This Virtual Instructor-Led session provides participants instruction on the relationship of program cost and revenue, standard security practices to protect the financial integrity, budget management, increasing productivity and decreasing waste, and staff responsibility for sound financial management practices.
This 6-hour training will be held from 9:00 am–3:30 pm PT, with a half hour lunch and additional breaks scheduled. Please mark your calendars for one of these dates:
- Tuesday, August 17 | Waitlist Only
- Thursday, August 26 | Register Here! 22 spots left!
For more information on registering events through the pdEnroller platform, please review our 7/26 Financial Management Training article.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition released a resource on water safety in schools Back to School: Watch Out for Water Safety!
As schools prepare for SY 21–22, ensuring water safety is an important part of back-to-school plans. When reopening a school building after any closure, it is important to check the safety of the water. Actions may need to be taken to ensure the water is safe for drinking, handwashing, and meal preparation.
Visit the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Back-to-School Water Safety Resources webpage for more information.
Questions? Please contact your OSPI CNS Program Specialist
September orders opened Wednesday, August 4, and will close Wednesday, August 11 at 4 pm.
Surplus orders will open Thursday, August 12 at 1pm for groups 1–3, and 2 pm for all other groups. Surplus closes Friday, August 13, at 4 pm.
For more information on your group number, please review the SY 21–22 Order and Delivery Schedule.
Ordering
- To place an order - log-in to CNP Web.
- Your Food Distribution Application must be completed (including certified and submitted) before you can place an order.
- Ordering Instructions
- Reminder:
The Ordering and Receiving webpage has multiple resources to assist you in placing your ordering including; instructions, order and distribution schedule.
Important Reminders
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Confirmation of USDA Foods If you’re scheduled to receive a USDA Foods Delivery, you should receive an appointment confirmation from the carrier. Please remember to reply to the carrier confirming receipt of appointment.
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To update or change your delivery contact person, please complete the Delivery Updates Form.
Questions? Please email the Food Distribution Office or call 360-725-6204.
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August 11
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September USDA Foods Order Period Closes in CNP Web.
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August 11
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SY 21–22 School Meal Programs Annual Updates Webinar - Register Here
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| August 12–13 |
September USDA Foods Surplus Order Period Open in CNP Web. |
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August 15
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July Claim Due in WINS!
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August 19
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SSO "Launching Point" Training - Register Here
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August 30
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June Claim 60-day Deadline - if you haven't already, submit your claim
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