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CEP State Requirements
RCW 28A.235.300 requires participation in CEP for all schools with an ISP of 40% or greater. For more details about the ISP and state requirements, please review the CEP Reference Sheet and the CEP in Washington State Reference Sheet.
State funding will supplement federal funds in schools with an ISP of 40% or greater.
The state legislature provides state funds to CEP schools or groups 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.
Resources
Questions? Contact your School Meal Programs Specialist.
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All public school districts and private schools must conduct outreach for summer meals each school year as required by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) even if the LEA is not operating a summer meal program.
LEAs must advertise the availability of summer meals before the end of the school year. Outreach information includes distribution locations, mealtimes, and contact information through regular communication channels.
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USDA Resources
- USDA Hunger Hotline is available Monday–Friday.
- Families can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) for English and
- 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) for Spanish.
Hunger Free Washington Resources
OSPI Communication Toolkit
- Social media graphics and sample social media posts.
- Marketing materials such as flyers, banner imagery, and more.
OSPI will conduct administrative reviews (ARs) and procurement reviews (PRs) for sponsors operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) in SY 2026–27. USDA regulations direct AR and PR procedures.
For SY 2026–27, the administrative and procurement review will continue to be conducted separately. Sponsors will receive two email notification letters, one for the administrative review and one for the procurement review.
AR notification letters were sent to sponsors selected for review by May 1.
PR notification letters will be sent to sponsors selected for review by August 7.
Who will be selected for an Administrative Review?
LEAs that last received a review in SY 2021–22 or had significant findings on their previous AR are likely to receive an AR in SY 2026–27.
Who will be selected for a Procurement Review?
LEAs that last received a review in SY 2020–21 or SY 2021–22 or are new to operating School Meal Programs are likely to receive a PR in SY 2026–27.
Material Due Dates
- Preliminary materials for both reviews are due September 30 and must be received prior to approval of your renewal application.
- Submit AR materials to the School Meals inbox.
- Submit PR materials to the Procurement Team inbox.
Questions about Administrative Reviews? Please contact your School Meal Programs Specialist.
Questions about Procurement Reviews? Please email the Procurement Team.
USDA released SP 07-2026: School Meal Programs: Reviewing Product-Based Added Sugars for Breakfast Cereals, Flavored Milk, and Yogurt. This memo reminds sponsors of the product-based added sugar limits that went into effect on July 1, 2025:
- Breakfast cereals can contain no more than six grams added sugar per dry ounce.
- Flavored milk can contain no more than 10 grams added sugar per eight fluid ounces.
- Yogurt can contain no more than 12 grams added sugar per six ounces.
Guidance was also provided to state agencies on how to assess product-based added sugar limits through the administrative review process. At this time, fiscal action will not be assessed for non-compliance with product-based added sugar limits.
USDA published the final rule, Expanding Fluid Milk Options in Child Nutrition Programs (91 FR 25073) that goes into effect on June 8, 2026.
Review the CNS Special Update for details.
The WINS School Meal Programs Renewal Application for SY 2026-27 is now open. This early opening allows sponsors more time to complete the application before the September 1 due date.
The Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit (CNEEB) application materials for SY 2026–27 are now available on the Meal Application and Verification Information webpage for pricing programs; the CEP & Provision 2 webpage for non-pricing and provision programs and the Meals for Washington Students webpage for non-pricing programs. Please note application materials for SY 2026–27 can be distributed after July 1.
The OSPI Renewal Bulletin and application checklist, and the OSPI Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit (CNEEB) Application and Materials Bulletin will be released in an OSPI Special Update soon.
Changes are coming to the WINS login process! Starting fall 2026, all users will be required to have a free Microsoft account to access WINS.
Why are we making this change?
Using a free Microsoft account makes signing into WINS safer and easier. It helps protect your information and keeps unauthorized people out. By switching to Microsoft accounts, everyone will have a more secure login and a smoother experience.
In the next few months, lookout for more information on how to create and connect your account.
Questions? Contact the School Meals Team at schoolmeals@k12.wa.us.
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OSPI thanks LEAs for their support identifying students who are eligible for Summer EBT (SUN Bucks).
The third and final upload is due.Upload all students who are newly eligible since the second upload by June 5.
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Upload Window
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Start Date
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End Date
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Only newly eligible since second upload
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May 26, 2026
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June 5, 2026
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If families have questions about their SUN Bucks card or eligibility, direct them to the SUN Bucks Call Center: 833-543-3230 or TTY 800-833-6384
The SUN Bucks Call Center can:
- Update addresses
- Tell a family if a SUN Bucks card will be sent automatically or if they need to apply
- Troubleshoot if one household member received a card and another did not
For questions about the S-EBT upload process, contact the Summer EBT inbox.
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SY 2026–27 School Meal Programs Annual Training features:
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Schedule flexibility with sessions offered over three dates: August 5, August 6, and August 13.
- A virtual format to prevent travel barriers.
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Ten different topics selected with sponsors' feedback and interests in mind.
- Up to 15 hours of Professional Standards credit.
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Schedule Highlights
Participants can choose which days and sessions to attend.
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Wednesday, August 5 | 8 am–12 pm: The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) will kick off Annual Training with a half-day Cafeteria as a Classroom training.
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Thursday, August 6 | 8 am–3:45 pm:
- OSPI Updates (8-9 am)
- Crediting Two Ways: By Hand and RAW (9:15-10:30 am)
- Recipe Development: From Food Blog to Standardized and Scaled for School (10:45 am-12 pm)
- Confirming Your Monthly Orders in W-ACES: A Hands-On Walkthrough (1-2:15 pm)
- Completing Effective Production Records (2:30-3:45 pm)
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Thursday, August 13 | 8 am–3:45 pm:
- OSPI Updates (8-9 am)
- Resource Management: Tools & Rules for Managing Program Finances (9:15-10:30 am)
- CNP Hot Topics (10:45 am-12 pm)
- Common AR Findings: How to Have a Painless Review (1-2:15 pm)
- Procurement in Practice: Find Success with Real-World Scenarios (2:30-3:45 pm)
See the Registration Form for session descriptions.
Register here for SY 2026-27 School Meal Programs Annual Training
- Each participant must register for the event. Registrants will receive a confirmation email after registering to keep for their records.
- Sessions will not be recorded.
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Please note: Registration closes July 31.
Questions? Contact CNSTraining@k12.wa.us.
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