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October claims are due November 15th for payment at the end of November. This article contains information about the annual collection of enrollment data, October Building Data, and some helpful claim reminders.
October Building Data
General Claiming Reminders
To receive reimbursement at the end of each month, submit your claim by the 15th of the following month. If you are not able to submit your claim by the 15th, you may submit your claim within 60 days of the original due date. The Claim Due Dates Reference Sheet 2023–24 identifies all claim deadlines for the school year.
WINS is open to submit your claim for reimbursement until 5:00 pm PT on the 15th of each month. Claims in "OK to Pay" status will process for payment at the end of the month.
Best Practice - Submit claims early in case an error comes up and you need assistance. Fiscal and Program staff are available until 5 pm on 15th or the last business day before the 15th.
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Monthly claim data must be in OK to Pay status by 5:00 pm PT on the 15th.
- WINS will automatically log all users out of the system on the 15th of each month at 5pm PT. Claims that were incomplete or in error status are held and will not be paid until completed/corrected.
- Give yourself enough time to input all claiming data, preview errors, correct errors. Completing these steps will help you ensure the claim is in “OK to Pay” status.
- The system may be slower during periods of heavy use.
- Didn't submit your claim by the 15th? That's okay! Submit your monthly claim by the 60-day deadline.
- There are multiple edit checks in the claim for reimbursement. Edit checks identify claim errors. Errors must be resolved to receive reimbursement.
Claim Resources
Questions? Contact your OSPI CNS School Meals Program Specialist or the OSPI CNS Fiscal Team at CNSFiscalServices@k12.wa.us.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently published a final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)– Increasing Options for Schools. This final rule amends the CEP regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) from 40 percent to 25 percent.
The federal deadline to apply for CEP is still June 30, therefore the final rule will go into effect in school year 2024-25. The State supplemental funds for CEP apply to schools or groups of schools with an ISP of 40% or greater. If districts decide to add an individual school or group with an ISP below 40%, meals will be reimbursed according to the federal claiming percentages (ISP x 1.6 = free claiming percentage).
For more information:
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
Verification is the process of confirming free and reduced-price meal eligibility based on an application. The verification process begins each year on October 1 and concludes November 15. Results of the verification process are reported in the Verification Summary Report (VSR). The VSR will open in WINS on November 16 and must be submitted to OSPI by February 1.
Public school districts, private schools, and residential child care institutions (RCCI) that determine eligibility for meals using meal applications must conduct verification. Resources and details about completing the verification process are available on the Meal Application and Verification webpage.
Important Details
- All School Meal Program sponsors are required to submit the VSR in WINS.
- Local Education Agencies (LEAs) operating CEP or Provision 2 district-wide and RCCIs with no day students are not required to conduct verification. However, the VSR must be submitted in WINS to certify enrollment information and attest that verification was not required.
- The VSR must be completed and submitted in WINS by February 1, 2024.
- Sponsors will not be able to submit their January Claim until their VSR is error free and submitted in WINS.
Resources
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
The Washington State Legislature provided $75,000 to support grant for schools seeking to implement more plant-based meal options in school year 2023–2024. These funds will be distributed as competitive grants up to $10,000 per school district to be spent during SY 2023–24.
Who Can Apply?
All K-12 schools, including public, charter, and tribal compact schools, participating in the National School Lunch and/or School Breakfast Program in Washington state are eligible to apply. All districts interested in making more plant-based entrees, sides, and/or dairy alternatives available to students on their menu are encouraged to apply. Only school districts that have not previously received funding for the Plant Based School Meals Grant may apply.
Application and Grant Funding Resources
Apply Early!
Consider submitting your application as soon as possible to assist CNS in approving your application so purchases can be finalized before the June 30, 2024, deadline.
Plant Based School Meals Grant applications are due by 5 pm on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
Why Serve Plant-Based School Meals?
There are a variety of benefits to serving plant-based school meal options, including:
- Supporting Student Health: Well-planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Additionally, many students follow plant-based diets for a variety of reasons.
- Serving Culturally Appropriate Meals: Providing plant-based menu offerings can make school meals more accessible to children following halal, kosher, and other specific cultural dietary practices.
- Supporting Local Agriculture: Washington has a bounty of local farmers and food businesses that are growing and selling plant-based protein foods, like lentils and soy products.
For questions or support applying for this grant, please reach out to CNSGrants@k12.wa.us.
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The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently released TA 01-2024: Crediting Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs. This memorandum includes an updated and expanded list of traditional indigenous foods that credit the same as similar foods currently included in the USDA’s Food Buying Guide:
- Beaked Hazelnuts
- Steamed Lambsquarters
- Wild Raspberries
- And more!
This memorandum is part of an effort to promote serving traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs (CNP). Additional resources on incorporating traditional Indigenous foods into the CNPs can be found on the Serving Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs webpage.
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 Administrative Review findings; however, you may review the procedure at any time on our webpages.
Questions? Please contact your program specialist.
OSPI Child Nutrition Services has released an updated CNS Accounting Codes reference sheet. After receiving inquiries regarding the Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN) we have added this identifier alongside the Assistance Listing Number (ALN) for applicable programs. Please reach out to CNS Fiscal Services with any questions at cnsfiscalservices@k12.wa.us.
The 2023 Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools grant is for nutrition and/or physical education equipment. School districts can apply in one or both categories:
Nutrition:
- Renovations or repairs
- New purchases
- Improvements to cafeteria/kitchen equipment
- Water bottle filling stations
- Garden-related structures and/or greenhouses
Physical Education:
- Indoor or Outdoor PE Equipment
- Playground equipment
- Covered play areas and related structures
The grant application is available in iGrants in Form Package 224 Fiscal Year 23–24 and will close November 30, 2023. Grant funds are limited to $200,000 per district.
Questions? Please contact Morgan Powell, High Performance Schools Coordinator.
The Breakfast Meals for Kids Grant is a state funded grant to start or expand the School Breakfast Program:
- Applicants must be a public school district, charter school or tribal compact school and have an approved application or be in the approval process to operate the USDA School Breakfast Program. This grant may also be utilized to purchase or renew a license for nutrient analysis software used to support the School Breakfast Program.
- iGrants- Form Package 383
- Grant funds must be utilized by June 30, 2024
The grant is scheduled to open in December 2023. More information to come in future CNS updates!
Winter weather is upon us! We realize that inclement weather or other events may unexpectedly affect your hours of operation, staff availability, and access to buildings.
Important Reminder - USDA Foods Deliveries
Notify your carrier as soon as possible if you need to cancel or change your delivery of USDA Foods. Deliveries combine orders from multiple LEAs, loaded in the order they will be delivered. Early notification to your carrier allows for adjustments so other LEAs may still receive their order.
If your LEA experiences unexpected closures and your delivery cannot be accepted, please contact the Empire Distribution System (IEDS) carrier that delivers your USDA Foods:
- Holman Transportation – 253-867-0682
- Hernandez Transportation – 509-547-8800
- Fastway Transportation – 509-534-9351
- Peninsula Transportation – 800-942-9909
- Oak Harbor Transportation – 253-288-8370
Loading docks and delivery areas must be clear of snow and ice to allow for safe deliveries. Please work with your facilities department to ensure your delivery area is ready.
Thank you for assisting the carriers that serve you!
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November 15
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October Claim Due in WINS by 5pm
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November 29
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September 60-Day Claim Deadline—if you haven't already, submit your claim
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November 30
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Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools Grant Closes
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December 4
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SCA Funds Survey Due
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