|
The state legislature appropriates funding to support school meal programs, including breakfast meal assistance funds for free and reduced-price breakfast meals. During School Year 23–24, these funds were paid out at a rate of $0.05 per breakfast. Our most recent calculations indicate that we are on track to underspend. Therefore, we will retroactively increase the per breakfast assistance rate for September 2023 – March 2024 breakfast meals. These funds will be paid out in a one-time, lump sum payment with your June apportionment.
Ensure all claims for the months of September 2023 through March 2024 have been entered in WINS by May 15, 2024 to receive funds.
Questions? Please email the fiscal team - cnsfiscalservices@k12.wa.us
 |
|
Through the USDA Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement, OSPI purchased 23 unprocessed and minimally processed foods from local producers and made them available at no cost to Washington schools in the 2023–24 School Year. |
OSPI plans to continue offering local foods through our Food Distribution program. As we look to the future of this program, OSPI wants to better understand your experience ordering, receiving, and using LFS foods this school year.
 |
|
Washington State is launching Summer EBT, “SUN Bucks”, a new grocery benefit program that provides families $120 for each eligible school-aged child to purchase groceries when school is out. This new, permanent program is in addition to free meals that kids of all ages can get at summer meal sites in their communities. |
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will be required to upload student eligibility data to the Summer EBT Portal prior to the end of the school year.
Summer EBT Uploads
Student eligibility data must be uploaded to the Summer EBT portal prior to leaving for the summer. Important details:
-
Your school or district should have designated a Summer EBT contact person.
-
The Summer EBT Support team sent user access emails with credentials, links, and instructions on Monday, May 6. If your contact did not receive this information, please reach out to the Summer EBT Support Team.
-
Student Eligibility data should be pulled prior to any end of year changes made based on transfers or graduations at the end of SY 2023–24.
-
Example: Students who graduate at the end of SY 2023–24 should be included in your upload.
Please direct families to the SUN Bucks website or to the call center at 1-833-543-3230.
Resources
For more information on eligibility and requirements for Summer EBT:
Applications to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for SY 2024–25 opened on May 3 and are due by June 30, 2024.
CEP allows schools with a high number of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students. CEP is available to public, private, and tribal schools.
To participate in CEP, schools or groups of schools must have an Identified Student Percentage (ISP) of at least 25% based off April 1 data. The ISP is calculated by dividing the number of identified students (students directly certified for free meals) by the number of enrolled students. The SY 2024–25 CEP Eligibility Report estimates the districtwide ISP and school level data using information from the Comprehensive Education Data and Research System (CEDARS) as of April 1, 2024.
To receive approval, LEAs must calculate their actual ISP and submit source documentation representative of April 1, 2024. ISPs must be validated by OSPI prior to approval to operate CEP. Tools to help Local Education Agencies (LEAs) apply for CEP are posted to the CEP & Provision II Webpage.
State Funding will Supplement Federal Funds in Schools with ISP of 40% or Greater
The state legislature provides state funds to CEP schools with an ISP of 40% or greater. 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. Please note that state funds will only be provided to CEP school(s) with an overall ISP of 40% or greater.
OSPI annually compiles data on aspects of food service operations and the accounting of federal funds. The 1800 report is a compilation of reports and statistics for public school districts based on financial data provided by sponsors. These reports are available to assist school districts in evaluating the performance of their food service operations.
The Report 1800 for SY 2022–23 is posted to the OSPI Child Nutrition Program Reports webpage. The 1800 Report Reference Sheet provides information and details about the report.
Report 1800 includes:
1800 A Revenues and Expenditures (in whole dollars)
1800 B Expenditures as a Percent of Revenue
Questions? Email cnsfiscalservices@k12.wa.us
 We are excited to announce that registration is now open for two new learning opportunities for the 2024–2025 school year.
Join Child Nutrition Program peers from across Washington for action-focused training and collaboration offered through the FY23 Team Nutrition grant. Two pathways are available:
- Nutrition education to power up healthier choices
- Culturally inclusive meals, menus, and nutrition education
Each pathway will include online training, peer-to-peer connections, and one-on-one support from the grant team to create successful on-the-ground local actions. We’ll start by identifying opportunities and teaming up with partners. From that, you will choose which actions to take and learn how to sustain and build on your efforts. Along the way, there will be opportunities for local, statewide, and national recognition of your efforts. This is a year-long journey with bite-sized action steps and support, all designed with your goals, needs, and schedules in mind.
If you are excited to offer your students more nutrition education or make your program more culturally inclusive, join us to Power Up your program!
If you’re ready to jump in, please complete the registration form to enroll.
Questions? Email Shannon Delaney, Project Coordinator, or Erica Lamson, Project Director.
The Child Nutrition Database (CNDB), Release 27, is now available! The CNDB is a required part of the nutrient analysis software approved by USDA for use in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. It is a nutrient database of over 10,000 food items.
Software companies must submit to the USDA their nutrient analysis and certification of compliance software with the updated CNDB by July 9, 2024, to maintain USDA approval.
Action Steps for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and Local Schools
Afte July 9, 2024, LEAs, and local schools should verify with their nutrient analysis software company to ensure that the software includes the most current version of the Child Nutrition Database (version CN27).
The USDA-approved software lists are found here:
We proudly announce that Ellensburg School District received a Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award for making improvements to the nutritional quality of their district’s school meals.
Awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in collaboration with Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK), Ellensburg SD received the Innovation in Nutrition Education award for their work to implement nutrition education activities that make classroom, cafeteria, community and home connections for students and parents/guardians.
|
AFHK is recognizing school districts to spotlight innovative practices, student and community engagement activities, and strategies schools have used to provide meals that are consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – all as part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the USDA FNS’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative. Learn more about the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards at https://healthymealsincentives.org/recognition-awards/.
 |
|
Local Looks Good!
Bainbridge Island served up local bok choy and asian greens from Pheasant Farms in this delicious Pad Thai.
|
Share Your Success!
We want to see the great things that your LEA is doing to promote scratch cooking, local foods, and culturally inclusive menu planning! Share your stories and pictures with us by emailing SchoolMeals@k12.wa.us.
Harvest of the Month
 |
|
Apricots
To support sponsors in integrating local foods into your meals, OSPI is excited to feature Harvest of the Month resource sheets. Each month we will highlight one local food that will be in season the following month. The resource sheets will include fun facts, nutritional information, selection and storage tips, recipe ideas, and educational resources.
Apricots for the month of April, You can find this and future Harvest of the Month resource sheets on our Farm to School webpage.
|
 |
|
Harvest of the Month Calendar
Now is a great time to plan your local purchases for next year! If your district wants to follow along with OSPI’s Harvest of the Month Calendar in school year 2024–2025.
|
Grant Opportunities
KidsGardening and Mrs. Meyers Clean Day designed the Lots of Compassion Grant program to support local leaders looking to transform vacant lots into gardens to help grow compassion in their community. In 2024, 10 grantees will receive $20,000 each to transform a vacant lot into a garden, a total of $200,000 will be awarded annually.
Through the Food Justice for Kids Prize, Newman’s Own Foundation invites applications from eligible organizations with innovative projects that support community-based direct service, ecosystem and community power building, and/or sustainable practices that drive enhanced nutrition education and nutritious school food. As many as 5 applicants in the Nutrition Education and School Food priority program area will receive up to $50,000 each in 2024, with the opportunity for an additional grant of up to $50,000 each in 2025.
-
The Local Food Promotion Program grants support local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer to consumer marketing to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products.
-
The Regional Food System Partnerships Program supports partnerships that connect public and private resources to plan and develop local or regional food systems. The program focuses on strengthening the viability and resilience of regional food economies.
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation’s “Fruit Tree 101” program creates outdoor edible orchard classrooms at public and nonprofit schools of all levels across the country to provide generations of students with environmental education opportunities and a source of fresh fruit for improved school lunch nutrition.
|
