October claims are due November 15 for payment at the end of November. This article contains information about the annual collection of enrollment data, October Building Data (OBD), and some helpful claim reminders.
October Building Data
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Federal regulations require OSPI to gather enrollment data representative of the last operating day in October, documenting the number of children eligible for free, reduced-price, and paid meals.
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 2024–25 identifies all claim deadlines for the school year.
WINS is open to submit your claim for reimbursement until 2 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 2 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 2 pm PT on the 15th.
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WINS will automatically log out all users of the system on the 15th of each month at 2pm PT.
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Allow enough time to input all claiming data, preview errors, correct errors. This will help ensure the claim is in “OK to Pay” status.
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The system may be slower during periods of heavy use.
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Didn't submit your claim by the 15th? That's okay! Submit your monthly claim by the 60-day deadline.
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There are multiple edit checks in the claim for reimbursement. Edit checks identify claim errors. Errors must be resolved to receive reimbursement.
- Claims that were incomplete or in error status are held and will not be paid until completed/corrected.
- Use the Claiming Error Messages in the WINS Information Sheet to resolve errors.
- Pro-Tip: Always select Preview Errors tab at the bottom of each site claim once information is entered.
Claim Resources
OSPI is hosting a USDA Foods show for School Meal Program sponsors. The food show will include education sessions on a variety of topics relevant to USDA Foods and a tasting event to sample USDA Foods available to order.
The food show is free, with two opportunities to attend. Registration is now open.
Register for the West Side
Location: University Place, WA
Date: January 27, 2025
Time: 8:00am–3:00pm PT
Register for the East Side
Location: Spokane, WA
Date: January 31, 2025
Time: 8:00am–3:00pm PT
Registration closes January 20, 2025. Please limit to two attendees per district.
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released SP 03-2025, CACFP 03-2025, SFSP 01-2025, Substituting Vegetables for Grains in American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Tribal Communities which provides updated guidance on substituting vegetables for grains in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This new menu planning option is intended to enhance the nutritional quality of meals and accommodate cultural food preferences.
Key Updates
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Allows eligible entities to use any creditable vegetable to substitute for the grains component, with an emphasis on traditional and culturally relevant vegetables.
- Vegetables substituted for grains do not count towards the vegetable component requirements and must be offered in addition to other vegetables to meet meal pattern requirements.
- Eligibility Criteria:
- Eligible entities include Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and schools that are tribally operated, operated by the Bureau of Indian Education, or that primarily serve American Indian or Alaska Native children.
- Program operators must maintain eligibility documentation, such as certifying statements, aggregate data, and school or census data if they choose to use this menu planning option.
To be in compliance with the Child Nutrition Program Integrity Final Rule, OSPI may conduct unannounced site visits at their discretion to follow up on program integrity concerns related to the following:
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High Risk for Non-Compliance
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Complaints from the Community
The Washington State Legislature provided $75,000 to support grants for schools seeking to implement more plant-based meal options in school year (SY) 2024–25. OSPI will award competitive grants up to $10,000 per Local Education Agency (LEA) to be spent during SY 2024–25.
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 LEAs interested in making more plant-based entrees, sides, and/or dairy alternatives available to students are encouraged to apply. Only LEAs that have not previously received funding for the Plant-Based School Meals Grant may apply.
Application and Grant Funding Resources
Consider submitting your application as soon as possible to assist OSPI with approving your application so purchases can be finalized before the June 30, 2025, deadline.
Plant-Based School Meals Grant applications are due by 5 pm on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
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.
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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. Additionally, many students follow plant-based diets for a variety of reasons.
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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.
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Does your Child Nutrition Program serve participants who follow kosher and/or halal diets? Join the USDA to learn more about how kosher and halal foods fit into Child Nutrition Program meal patterns and how USDA Foods can help! The webinar will also highlight how non-congregate waivers for Ramadan 2025 can support participants’ access to meals throughout Ramadan.
Register Here
Date: Thursday, November 14, 2024
Time: 10–11am PT
The webinar will be offered with closed captioning. Participants who require a different accessibility tool to participate in this webinar please reach out to Sheila Kopczynski, FNS-RAC, at sheila.kopczynski@usda.gov or (208) 202-2811.
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If you were unable to attend the Basics of Operating School Meal Programs training at the School Meals Annual Training this year, we are hosting another training opportunity.
Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Time: 8am–5pm
Location: Renton School District
Kohlwes Education Center
300 SW 7th Street, Renton, WA 98057
This training is helpful for those who started working in the NSLP or SBP within the last five years. This 8-hour training is designed for food service directors or those in a managerial role. We will focus on the basics of operating a successful school meal program, including meal pattern, menu planning, USDA Foods, and accurate point-of-service meal counting.
This will be an interactive, action-packed training led by Doug Wordell. This training is limited to 25 people. Register soon to save your spot.
Questions? Please email CNSTraining@k12.wa.us
Boise State University’s Center for School and Community Partnerships has announced the release of a Request for Applications (RFA) for the second round of Project Supporting Community Agriculture and Local Education System (SCALES) sub-grants. This initiative is part of the Healthy Meals Incentives School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants. Applicants should propose innovative and collaborative approaches that reimagine the school food system and that could be sustained and scaled elsewhere.
Projects must be collaboratively administered by at least three partners, with one lead partner and at least two partner organizations. Teams must include at least one School Food Authority (SFA) and at least one partner from industry.
Important Information
- Grants are available from $500,000 to $1,000,000
- Funding for up to 3 years (July 2025 to June 2028)
- Application closes December 13, 2024.
Harvest of the Month
OSPI is excited to feature a SY 2024-25 Harvest of the Month Calendar and resource sheets. Each month we highlight one local food that will be in season the following month. The resource sheets include fun facts, nutritional information, selection and storage tips, recipe ideas, and educational resources/activities. We are featuring Kuri Squash for the month of December. If you don’t have access to Kuri Squash near you or want to feature another food item, check out our past Harvest of the Month resource pages on the OSPI Farm to School webpage under the Harvest of the Month drop down menu.
Grant Opportunities
Growing Justice Fund 2024 - Deadline: November 15, 2024
The Growing Justice Fund offers grants ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 to support community-led initiatives that advance equitable food procurement.
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Planning Grants (up to $25,000) help organizations in the early stages of project development by funding strategic research, stakeholder engagement, partnership building, and project planning.
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Implementation Grants (ranging from $50,000 to $250,000) are focused on building infrastructure for equitable food procurement, supporting BIPOC+ producers, food hubs, cooperatives, and policy advocacy, ensuring that these communities thrive as key players in institutional markets.
The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program is designed to increase the availability of local foods in schools and connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals.
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Implementation Grant: Improve access to local foods in eligible CNP sites through comprehensive farm to school programming that includes both local sourcing and agricultural education efforts. Award Amount: $50,000 – $500,000
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Action Planning: Develop a roadmap for launching or enhancing farm to school activities.
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Agricultural Education: Incorporate agricultural education into curricula.
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Edible Gardens: Implement a food production operation.
Learn more about this opportunity by attending USDA Office Hours.
Register Here
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Time: 10am-11am PT
Register Here
Date: Monday, December 2, 2024
Time: 8am-9am PT
Register Here
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Time: 12pm-1pm PT
Register Here
Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Time: 11am-12pm PT
December orders will close Wednesday, November 13, at 4 pm
Surplus orders will open Thursday, November 14, at 1 pm for groups 1 and 2; 1:30 pm for group 3; and 2 pm for group 4.
Surplus closes Friday, November 15, at 4 pm.
There are new group numbers this year. See the Group Numbers Reference Sheet to verify when you have access to Surplus.
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.
- Sponsor Ordering Instructions
- Reminder: Minimum of 20 cases per warehouse (dry vs frozen).
The Ordering and Receiving webpage has multiple resources to assist you in placing your order including instructions and the 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 to confirm the appointment.
- Deliveries
- To update or change your delivery contact person, please complete the Delivery Updates Form.
- Standard USDA Foods deliveries are wrapped and stacked on pallets no higher than approximately five feet and left at your loading dock for you to remove.
- Carriers will drop pallets at the dock or just inside the threshold of your facility if the entrance can accommodate. Requests for removal of product from the pallet or for the driver to enter the facility will require additional cost and must be arranged in advance.
- If there are delivery discrepancies or damages, you may return those cases with the driver.
Questions? Please email the Food Distribution inbox or call 360-725-6204.
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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:
East
- Hernandez Transportation – 509-547-8800
- Fastway Transportation – 509-534-9351
West
- Holman Transportation – 253-867-0682
- 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.
Questions? Please email the Food Distribution inbox or call 360-725-6204.
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November 6–13
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December USDA Foods Order Period Open
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November 14–15
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December USDA Foods Surplus Open
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