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The non-competitive Safe School Meals Grant (Form Package 170) has been utilized by over 240 Local Education Agencies around the state. This is a reminder that equipment and supplies purchased with this grant must be on-site by May 31, 2022.
Questions? Please email the CNS Grants team.
OSPI CNS is finalizing the CEP Eligibility Report for SY 2022–23!
Child Nutrition Services (CNS) is required to annually notify Local Education Agencies (LEAs) of their district-wide eligibility to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). We are currently finalizing the CEP Eligibility Report and tools to help Local Education Agencies (LEAs) apply for CEP.
We anticipate this information will be released in the upcoming week.
About the CEP Eligibility Report
The CEP Eligibility Report identifies LEAs and individual schools in the following categories:
- Eligible to Participate—Identified Student Percentage (ISP) of at least 40%.
- Near Eligible to Participate—ISP greater than 30% but less than 40% (may be eligible to participate).
- LEAs currently participating in CEP in some capacity.
The District-Wide ISP and school level data is calculated using information from the Comprehensive Education Data and Research System (CEDARS) as of April 1, 2022.
The reported ISP is an estimate. To receive approval, LEAs must calculate their actual ISP and submit source documentation representative of April 1, 2022. ISP’s must be validated by CNS prior to approval to operate CEP.
CEP Expansion Signed into Law
HB 1878 Requirements
Governor Inslee signed House Bill 1878 into law on March 4, 2022. The new law requires participation in the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for all schools with an ISP of 40%. This expands the work of HB 2660 (2020) which required CEP in non-high schools above 62.5% ISP. For more details about Identified Student Percentage, please review the CEP Reference Sheet.
State Funding will Supplement Federal Funds in Lower ISP Schools
The law also ensures that CEP schools will get the highest possible per-meal reimbursement. When a school’s Free Claiming Percentage (the ISP multiplied by 1.6 (federal multiplier)) is less than 100%, state funding will supplement federal reimbursement so that all meals served are reimbursed at the free rate
Please notify your program specialist if you intend to apply for CEP for the upcoming school year. CEP applications are due June 30, 2022.
Resources
CEP Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
Join us for a webinar!
Join OSPI Child Nutrition Services as we discuss upcoming school year operations, USDA's transitional rule, and more!
Register for the School Meal Program Operations in SY 2022–23 Webinar
Date: Thursday, May 19
Time: 1–2 pm PT
Please review the 4/18 School Meal Program Operations in SY 2022–23 article for more details and resources.
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
All public school districts and private schools must conduct outreach for summer meals each school year as required by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The outreach is to advertise the availability of summer meals before the end of the school year. Even if you are not sponsoring an SFSP program, you must share resources that allow households to locate summer meals in the area.
Outreach includes distributing locations, meal times, and contact information through your regular communication channels.
There are a number of resources, in both English and Spanish, to raise awareness in your community.
- USDA Resources
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Summer Meals Locator- Promote this tool in English or Spanish.
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USDA National Hunger Hotline- can be reached Monday–Friday
- Families can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479)
- For Spanish, families can call 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273)
- No Kid Hungry Resources
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The OSPI Communication Toolkit located on the SFSP Resources webpage, under the 'Promote the SFSP' dropdown. There you'll find:
- Social Media Graphics and Sample Social Media Posts
- Marketing Materials such as flyers, door hangers, and a banner image
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
School Lunch Hero Day provides you with the perfect opportunity to recognize the hardworking professionals in your school cafeterias.
Between preparing healthy meals for America’s students, adhering to strict nutrition standards, navigating student food allergies, and offering service with a smile, school nutrition professionals are true heroes.
Celebrate #SLHD22 on Friday, May 6!
This year marks a special 10-year anniversary for SLHD, as well as the 10th year SNA has partnered with artist Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the “Lunch Lady” book series that started it all.
Want to learn more about the inspiration behind School Lunch Hero Day? Watch the video!
You’ll find lots of #SLHD22 recognition ideas on SNA's website, including thank you cards. Plan to spread the word and get the rest of your school, district and community with the help of our customizable press release and proclamation.
Share Your Celebrations with Us!
We know school nutrition professionals make a difference for every child who comes through the cafeteria. Tag your social media posts with #SLHD22 and #OSPIChildNutrition or email the Child Nutrition Team with your celebrations!
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USDA recently provided guidance on funding and resources to assist sponsors of school nutrition programs dealing with supply chain disruptions. This relief funding is made available through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and authorized under the CCC Charter Act. Assistance is being provided through the following three channels.
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Supply Chain Assistance- WA allocation $18,233,217 Funding for all School Food Authorities “exclusively” for the purchase of domestic foods that are minimally processed. Allocations will be based on $5,000 for each SFA plus a proportional amount based on October 2021 enrollment.
We are currently seeking spending authority through the state legislature and plan to distribute these funds at the beginning of next school year. Funds may be used through 9/30/2023. Please review SP 03-2022: Allocation of Supply Chain Assistance (SCA) Funds to Alleviate Supply Chain Disruptions in the School Meal Programs for additional USDA guidance on SCA funds. More Washington state specific details will be provided in a OSPI Bulletin and webinar.
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USDA Foods in Schools- WA allocation $5,283,131 Majority of funding will be added to next year’s entitlement allocation. A small amount will be added to next year’s DoD allocation.
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Local Food For Schools- WA allocation $3,644,643 Funding to state agencies for the purchase of domestic local foods for distribution to schools. OSPI Child Nutrition Services is in the process of preparing the application to receive these funds. More details will be shared once the application is approved.
Questions? Please email the Child Nutrition team.
Join the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) as they share ways to collaborate and best practices to implement in your community.
Summer Meals: Mitigating the Impact of the Loss of the Summer Nutrition Waivers
During this webinar, presenters will share how to mitigate the impacts of the loss of the summer nutrition waivers and how to increase participation in summer meals this year. Hear from a school district, a state agency, and an advocate on their plans for the upcoming summer.
Summer Meals: Mitigating the Impact of the Loss of the Summer Nutrition Waivers
Date: Thursday, April 28
Time: 12–1 pm PT
The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) is the only federally funded national center dedicated to applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition programs.
Register for a Webinar
This S.T.A.R. webinar will highlight food safety considerations to keep in mind during emergencies, including key tips and practices that aid in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery in school nutrition and foodservice operations. Using the information provided, operators and their school communities can come together and be ready for food safety emergencies they may face.
Register for the Get Ready to Respond: Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery webinar
Date: Thursday, April 28
Time: 12–1 pm PT
Additional Details
- After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
- Registrants are eligible to receive a continuing education certificate for attending this webinar. Professional Standards Code: 2620 – Practice general food safety procedures.
- Webinar recordings can be found on ICN’s online course platform, iLearn, one week after the live webinar.
ScratchWorks will be hosting a scratch cooking conference on April 24–26, 2023 in Austin, Texas. They invite districts to attend that are eager to improve their scratch cooking methods and/or share their successes and challenges with like-minded leaders.
Here is the link to the application, and their website. Applications are due on May 1, 2022.
ScratchWorks has funding to support 100 food service directors (or designees), covering conference and travel fees.
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