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OSPI Child Nutrition Service (CNS) was awarded a Local Food for Schools (LFS) cooperative agreement from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)! This agreement allows CNS to purchase locally grown and produced products for aggregation and distribution through the CNS Food Distribution Program (FDP).
Let Us Know What You'd Like!
CNS previously released an RFP solicitation and is currently reviewing bids from local producers. We need your input to determine how much of each local product to order.
Please complete the survey by Wednesday, May 10
Those who have responsibility for ordering food for school meals should complete this survey.
Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) has been extended through Summer 2023. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will be required to upload student eligibility data to the P-EBT Portal prior to the end of SY 2022–23.
What is Summer P-EBT?
Qualifying children under age 6 as well as school-aged children will receive a one-time lump sum of $120 per child to cover the summer period through July and August 2023. School-aged children, who are enrolled at the end of the school year in a Washington state school operating the NSLP, and are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals are eligible for Summer 2023 P-EBT benefits. All students enrolled in a school operating the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) are also eligible for Summer 2023 P-EBT benefits. Children under 6 will receive benefits under this plan if they receive Basic Food assistance during July and August.
Join Us for a Webinar
May’s School Meals Monthly webinar will focus primarily on Summer P-EBT.
Register for the School Meal Programs Monthly Webinars Here!
Date: Thursday, May 4, 2023
Time: 2–3 pm PT
Please note: You only have to register once and you will receive updates and reminders for each webinar. Follow up emails with a copy of the slides are sent to everyone registered for the session, even if they did not attend. We do not post recordings to the CNS webpages.
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).
Discrepancies were found with the original CEP Eligibility Report posted on April 13. These have now been resolved and the updated SY 23–24 CEP Eligibility Report is now available. Thank you for your patience as we worked through the discrepancies! The updated report estimates the district-wide Identified Student Percentage (ISP) and school level data using information from the Comprehensive Education Data and Research System (CEDARS) as of April 1, 2023.
The CEP Eligibility Report identifies LEAs and individual schools in the following categories:
- Eligible to Participate – 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 reported ISP is an estimate. To receive approval, LEAs must calculate their actual ISP and submit source documentation representative of April 1, 2023. ISPs must be validated by CNS prior to approval to operate CEP. Tools to help LEAs apply for CEP are posted to the CEP & Provision II Webpage.
Please notify your program specialist if you intend to apply for CEP for the upcoming school year. CEP applications are due June 30, 2023.
CEP Expansion Signed into Law
HB 1878 Requirements
House Bill 1878 was passed in the 2022 legislative session. The law requires participation in CEP for all schools with an ISP of 40%. For more details about Identified Student Percentage and HB 1878, please review the CEP Reference Sheet and the CEP in Washington State 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 federal free rate.
Join us for a Webinar!
The CEP webinar will review the requirements, application process, and include guest speakers from LEAs currently implementing CEP.
Register for the CEP Webinar
Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023
Time: 1–2 pm PT
Resources
Questions? Please contact your School Meal Programs Specialist.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released SP 11-2023: Paid Lunch Equity Guidance for School Year 2023-24 and the Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) Tool for SY 2023-24. The tool is now available on the NSLP Materials & Requirements webpage (under the 'Financial Management' dropdown)!
PLE Tool Information
The PLE tool is used to determine the weighted average paid lunch price, the new paid lunch price, or amount of non-federal funds that must be contributed to the non-profit school food service account. When completing the PLE Tool for SY 2023–24, Local Education Agencies (LEAs) should use pricing/sales data from October 2022 and the weighted average price requirement from the SY 22-23 PLE Tool. If your LEA did not complete the SY 22–23 PLE Tool, the SY 22–23 Price Calculator tab should be completed within the tool.
Reference the PLE Tool Instructions document for more information on completing the tool.
PLE Requirements
USDA will offer an exemption from PLE pricing requirements to programs with a positive or zero balance in the non-profit school food service account as of June 30, 2022. LEAs operating CEP district-wide or RCCIs with no day students are also exempt from PLE requirements.
LEAs that had a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2022, must follow PLE requirements and complete the PLE Tool for SY 2023–24. To meet the PLE requirements, LEAs must choose one of the following options:
- Raise paid lunch prices (the maximum required price increase is $0.10)
- Contribute non-Federal funds in lieu of raising paid lunch prices
- Split the costs by raising paid lunch prices AND contributing non-Federal funds
Questions? Contact your School Meal Programs Specialist.
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Application for School Year 2023–24 is open in WINS!
The FFVP provides a fresh fruit or vegetable snack to elementary school students and is an effective and creative way to introduce fresh produce as a healthy snack option. Funds are awarded to the highest free and reduced-price (FRP) percentage elementary schools. We invite all schools that meet the eligibility requirements to apply for this program.
There are two requirements for eligibility:
- 50% or more of the students enrolled in the school must be eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
- The school must meet the definition of an elementary school; Pre-K/Kindergarten through grade 5 or a variation or, Pre-K/Kindergarten through grade 8.
OSPI Child Nutrition Services will be releasing an application bulletin in the coming weeks. The application deadline for participation for school year 2023–24 is May 15, 2023.
Application Process
Your application will be submitted using the Washington Integrated Nutrition System (WINS).
Questions? Please email Rachel Floyd or call 360-742-4155
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OSPI and the United Way of King County will be hosting Office Hours from the end of April throughout the month of May to discuss Breakfast After the Bell (BAB) Implementation Plans! Each week will be focused on a specific topic and will include opportunity for questions, resource sharing, and networking.
Register for Office Hours here
Time: 2–3 pm PT
Dates
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April 26
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Service Models & Assessing Equipment Needs
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May 3
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Service Models & Assessing Equipment Needs
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May 10
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Training
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May 24
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Meal Counting
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May 31
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Promotion & Communication
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Unable to attend the BAB webinar last week? The BAB Webinar Recording is now available.
USDA recently released two new policy memorandums for the School Meal Programs.
- The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the COVID-19 public health emergency will expire on May 11, 2023.
- USDA released SP 07-2023, CACFP 06-2023, SFSP 04-2023: Unique Entity Identifier Transition to provide guidance to State Agencies and Program Operators as they transition to the use of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Federal agencies were directed to complete system transitions from the use of the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) to the UEI on April 4, 2022. Child Nutrition Program operators are required to obtain the UEI to receive reimbursement.
Questions? Contact your School Meal Programs Specialist.
The renewal closing date for the current program year is June 30, 2023.
If your school is planning to operate the CACFP August or September 2023 and is not operating the program this school year, you must complete the program renewal application in WINS no later than June 30, 2023.
Sponsors most affected by this change are those who plan to operate At-Risk or Pre-school programs that start in August or September 2023 who are not operating CACFP this school year. For more information on this, please refer to the FY23 CACFP Annual Updates Webinar.
To start the FY23 renewal process, refer to the CACFP Application and Renewal Reference Sheet and the CACFP Preparing to Complete Renewal Application Checklist.
Please contact your CACFP Specialist if you have any questions.
Appeal procedures give USDA Child Nutrition Programs sponsors an avenue to appeal when the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Child Nutrition Services takes adverse administrative action as required by federal regulations.
These procedures are specific in what actions are appealable and what programs they apply to. Appeal procedures are included in Final Letters summarizing review findings; however, you may review the procedure at any time on our webpages.
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
The 2023 Team Nutrition Grant Application is now open!
The goal of the FY23 Team Nutrition Grant is to facilitate the adoption of healthy eating patterns by school-aged children (grades Pre-K through 12) through the coordination and implementation of MyPlate nutrition education connected to the nutritious meals and snacks offered through USDA Child Nutrition Programs.
Apply for This Grant
School Food Authorities (SFA) are eligible to apply for up to $1 million in grant funds. Applications are due on Monday, May 22, 2023 by 8:59 pm PT.
SFAs can view the Request For Applications (RFA) and apply online using the grants.gov website. FNS expects to announce the grant awards in August 2023.
An informational webinar on this RFA was held on Wednesday, April 5. This webinar was recorded and will be posted on the Team Nutrition website.
Grant Objectives
The FY23 Team Nutrition Grant funds will support grant activities that focus on four objectives:
- Increasing the consumption of nutritious foods and beverages offered through the NSLP and CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals and Outside School Hours Care Centers (OSHCC) via high-quality MyPlate nutrition education.
- Increasing awareness of the MyPlate symbol and accompanying MyPlate nutrition education tools, resources, and messages.
- Increase awareness of the nutritional contributions of meals and snacks offered to students from parents/caregivers, school coaches and athletic trainers, school nurses, afterschool program operators, and Pre-K through 12 teachers.
- Improving equity by increasing the number of students from historically underserved and marginalized populations who are reached by nutrition education resources, including resources and recipes that are culturally appropriate and/or in the preferred language of the students and their families.
- Increasing school community engagement in the development, implementation, and assessment of Local School Wellness Policies.
Additional information about the Team Nutrition Training Grant Program is available on the Team Nutrition Training Grants webpage.
Questions about this grant? Please email Anna Arrowsmith, Team Nutrition Grant Officer.
FoodCorps is a national AmeriCorps program that places school nutrition and food education service members in schools to help bolster capacity for food education, local procurement, scratch cooking, culturally relevant menu items as well as student and family engagement.
FoodCorps has set a lofty goal that by 2030, every child has access to food education and nourishing food in schools. In pursuit of this goal, FoodCorps is looking to expand its current footprint and Washington is in consideration. Jackie Hermann, FoodCorps Western Region Director, will be discussing the services they can provide schools and districts at the next WSDA Farm to School Purchasing Grant Office Hours. WSDA is opening this meeting for all School Meals sponsors to attend.
Click Here to Join the Meeting
Date: Tuesday, April 25
Time: 2–3pm PT
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