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Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist.
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Application for School Year (SY) 2026–27 is open in the Washington Integrated Nutrition System (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.
The application deadline for SY 2026–27 is April 30.
Review Bulletin 009-26: Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Application School Year 2026–27 for more details on the application process.
Application Process
Submit an application in WINS.
Questions? Please email Rachel Floyd or call 360-742-4155.
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Child Nutrition Services seeks School Meal Programs Advisory Council members.
The School Meals Advisory Council is a voluntary group, comprised of a diverse group of sponsors from different geographic regions, size representation, and meal production methods. This advisory council provides a forum for collaboration and understanding between OSPI and sponsors of the School Meal Programs.
While not a decision-making authority, the advisory council serves a critical role by:
- Providing input on and sharing of best practices.
- Providing input on training and resource needs.
- Engaging in peer-to-peer learning and peer support.
Interested? Complete this form by Friday, May 15.
Member Selection
OSPI selects members based on size, geographic location, meal production method, and sponsor type, to best represent sponsors in Washington. Sponsors may volunteer and/or be invited by OSPI. Advisory Council members agree to be honest, transparent, and respectful while participating in and representing the Advisory Council.
Questions? Please email the School Meals inbox.
The USDA recently released new guidance that affects the School Meal Programs.
Incorporating Local Beef into the Child Nutrition Programs
SP 03: 2026, CACFP 02-2026, SFSP 02-2026: Incorporating Local Beef into Child Nutrition Program Meals encourages Child Nutrition Program operators to incorporate locally raised beef into program meals when feasible. The memo does not add new requirements; but highlights existing flexibilities and provides resources on procurement, funding, food safety, and crediting. Please note that entitlement dollars cannot be used to purchase food outside the USDA Food Distribution Program.
2026 Appropriations Act: Effect on Child Nutrition Programs
SP 05-2026, CACFP 03-2026, SFSP 03-2026: 2026 Appropriations Act: Effect on Child Nutrition Programs clarifies the impacts of the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veteran Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 on the School Meal Programs:
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Crediting of Vegetables at Breakfast
- Any vegetable may be offered in place of fruit at breakfast without including vegetables from other subgroups in weekly menus. This provision is effective immediately through SY 2026–27.
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Prohibition on the Use of Chicken and Seafood from China
- Program funds may not be used to procure poultry or seafood products imported from the People’s Republic of China through September 30, 2026.
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Compliance with Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) Requirements for SY 2026–27
- LEAs with a negative balance in the non-profit school food service account on June 30, 2025, are required to establish a price for paid lunches, unless operating CEP or Provision 2 district wide.
- LEAs with a positive balance in the non-profit school food service account on June 30, 2025, are exempt from PLE pricing requirements.
Modifying FNS Instruction 113-1
CRD 01-2026, announces the USDA's intention to modify FNS Instruction 113-1: Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement – Nutrition Programs and Activities, and develop new guidance.
In the interim, civil rights and nondiscrimination laws and regulations remain in effect, along with related compliance and enforcement requirements. More information will be provided when it becomes available.
Freeze Dried Fruit Crediting in Child Nutrition Programs
USDA has provided clarification about the use of freeze-dried fruit in child nutrition programs. Program operators may now credit freeze-dried fruit toward the fruit component in a reimbursable meal. Guidance on any type of dried vegetables has not changed. Dried vegetables would still have to be reconstituted to be able to credit toward a reimbursable meal.
Since there are no entries for freeze-dried fruits in the Food Buying Guide, operators would need to conduct an in-house yield study to determine the appropriate crediting amount. The prepackaged volume should be measured to determine the actual volume and then doubled for the meal contribution. For example, if the package contents are measured to be ¼ cup, then the portion would credit as ½ cup of fruit.
Crediting of dried fruit as double the volume only applies to School Meal Programs and the CACFP. Crediting dried fruit at double volume does not apply to SFSP meals.
Resources:
Questions? Please contact your School Meals Program Specialist or email SchoolMeals@k12.wa.us.
School Meal Programs Annual Training will be held virtually August 5, 6 and 13!
By offering Annual Training virtually, OSPI hopes to encourage broader attendance by minimizing travel burden and cost for LEAs.
To kick-off this year’s training on Wednesday, August 5, OSPI invited the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) to conduct their half-day Cafeteria as a Classroom training.
Thursday sessions will be 60–75 minutes long and include Recipe Development, Crediting, Procurement, Common Administrative Review Findings, Train the Trainer: Production Records, and more! Participants can pick and choose which sessions to attend based on their needs.
Registration opens in May.
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Tentative Schedule:
- Wednesday, August 5 | 8 am –12 pm
- Thursday, August 6 | 8 am –3:45 pm
- Thursday, August 13 | 8 am–3:45pm
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OSPI will offer its popular Basics of Operating School Meal Progams training as a live virtual session in fall 2026. This training is helpful for those who started working in the NSLP or SBP within the last five years. This 6-hour live virtual training course is held over two days and designed for food service directors or those in a managerial role. The training focuses on the basics of operating a successful school meal program, including meal pattern, menu planning, USDA Foods, and accurate point-of-service meal counting |
- October 28 | 1–4 pm
- November 4 | 1–4 pm
Interested in taking the Basics course before October? This training is now available in Canvas! Plan 7–10 hours to complete the full course. Most modules take 30 to 60 minutes.
Enroll in the course using this link. If you have a Canvas account, you'll be asked to log in before enrolling. If you don't have an account, the link will ask you to create one and then enroll in the course. If you forgot your password, use the "Forgot password?" link on the Canvas login page.
Questions? Please email the CNSTraining inbox.
The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) program—also known as SUN Bucks— supports children who lose access to free and reduced-price school meals during the summer months
Students only receive SUN Bucks automatically if they individually qualify for free or reduced meals through direct certification or completing a Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit (CNEEB) application.
LEAs can help eligible students access the $120 SUN Bucks benefit by encouraging families to complete the CNEEB in April. Below are helpful outreach resources:
Questions? Please email the Summer EBT inbox.
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Do your staff need a quick refresher on Offer versus Serve (OVS)? OSPI recently launched two short training videos on OVS requirements at both breakfast and lunch! |
Additional training materials and resources are available on the School Meals Training webpage.
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Program operators offering the NSLP and SBP during SY 2025–26 are encouraged to join OSPI monthly webinars.
OSPI will discuss annual program requirements, new policy guidance, important reminders, Summer-EBT uploads, and provide an opportunity to ask questions.
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Next Webinar: May 7, 2026
Time: 2–3 pm
Please note: Register once to receive updates and reminders for each webinar.
Reminders
- When you register, there is an option at the bottom of the confirmation email to add the webinar to your calendar.
- A reminder email with the login link to the webinar is sent one hour before the session starts.
- A copy of the slides are sent to everyone registered for the session, even if they did not attend.
- Webinars are not recorded.
- Please keep an eye out for the webinar emails. If you do not see them, check your SPAM box.
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