Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)
- Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team
- Other Updates and Information
Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Termination Notice for the Project Titled Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) Agreement
On Friday, March 7, 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team (SNT) received notice that the agreement between the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is terminated for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) Program.
Updates from the DPI School Nutrition Team
Reporting Enrollment in the National School Lunch (NSLP) and School Breakfast Programs (SBP) Reimbursement Claims
As a reminder, the enrollment reported in the reimbursement claims for NSLP and SBP is the highest number of students enrolled at the school in the claim month who have access to the meal. Each student may be counted only once in the total enrollment.
It has recently come to our attention that some software edit checks count the enrollment by the total number of eligibilities in a month which may result in overcounting the school enrollment. An accurate enrollment is important for Severe Need Breakfast and Area Eligibility qualification. If your SFA has been using an enrollment other than described above, please email DPIFNS@dpi.wi.gov for assistance to see if claim amendments are necessary.
Please consult the Counting and Claiming Webpage for additional information.
Are You Interested in Learning More About the Free School Nutrition Software Solution SNACS?
The DPI SNT invites you to join us for a live demo of SNACS (School Nutrition Accountability Software).
To accommodate schedules will be offering the demo* twice:
- Live demo on Wednesday, April 16, 9-10:30 AM – Register Here!
- Live demo on Tuesday, April 22, 2-3:30 PM – Register Here!
*Demos will not be recorded.
Please note these demos will NOT cover the Administrative Review module. Trainings on the review module will be available during school year (SY) 2025-26.
During this demo we will highlight the following features of SNACS:
- Processing Free and Reduced Meal Applications
- Online Free and Reduced Meal Application
- Direct Certification
- Verification
- Student Management
We will also answer questions about SNACS and how to access the software. We look forward to sharing all SNACS has to offer with you!
Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Application Period Now Closed
The FY 2024 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant application period closed at 11:59 PM on Friday, February 28, 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Thank you to all the School Food Authorities (SFAs) for applying. We received 194 applications. The DPI SNT Equipment Grant Team appreciates your patience while we review the applications. All SFAs that applied will be notified by late spring on their application status.
Translated Applications
The USDA Free and Reduced Meal Application is now available in Hebrew, Pashto, and Turkish.
More languages are available on the USDA FNS Translated Applications Webpage.
Other Updates and Information
Now Accepting Host Site Applications for the AmeriCorps Farm to School Program - Notice of Intent to Apply due Monday, March 31, 2025!
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is accepting applications for new and continuation partner sites across Wisconsin for the 2025-26 grant year in anticipation of receiving AmeriCorps (AC) Farm to School (F2S) Program funding in the 2025-26 grant cycle. Through an AmeriCorps grant, we are able to offer the AC Farm to School Program to communities around Wisconsin.
What is AmeriCorps?
AmeriCorps is a national service program that engages over 80,000 members in service each year to solve pressing national problems through direct service and by mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. Members gain valuable professional, educational, and life benefits while having a lasting impact on their community.
What is the AmeriCorps Farm to School Program?
The AC F2S Program provides an innovative approach to building healthy communities through:
- Improving child nutrition through the implementation of educational F2S activities for students and families. These activities encourage healthy eating choices within an educational setting.
- Utilizing the talent, passion, and tenacity of AmeriCorps members to provide capacity building services that help build realistic and sustainable F2S programs.
- Meeting communities where they are at and addressing their specific F2S needs.
- Developing strong communities by creating future community leaders and connecting schools with local farmers and food businesses.
Program Outline
Through an AmeriCorps grant, DPI is able to offer the AC F2S Program to communities around Wisconsin. With the support of their host site, AC members will serve to meet the following program performance measures:
- Support Wisconsin schools with capacity building services that help them level up in the Wisconsin Farm to School Recognition Program and/or add new sustainable F2S activities to their existing program;
- Develop community and interdepartmental partnerships to support F2S programming;
- Provide training and technical assistance to schools on implementing activities in all three of the F2S core elements (education, local procurement, and school gardens)
- Assist schools in creating and implementing F2S sustainability plans;
- Partner with thriving F2S programs to create resources and/or trainings that share their best practices to smaller, up and coming F2S programs;
- Celebrate schools’ F2S accomplishments and share their stories to gain more community support;
- Conduct host site evaluations to ensure that they are satisfied with the capacity building services they receive;
- Promote the Wisconsin Local Foods Database to local producers and school nutrition directors;
- Participate in professional development trainings and required program reporting and data collection; and
- Participate in AmeriCorps Week.
Each partner host site will be eligible to apply for one or two part-time or full-time AmeriCorps members who will serve as Farm to School Specialists. Host sites requesting a single half-time member are not exempt from completing all of the program components.
We strongly encourage host sites to apply for at least two half-time or one full-time member(s) to ensure a well-rounded program with multiple components.
For more information on the application process, what our program is, what would be expected of you as a host site, what our goals are, and more, please refer to the Notification of Intent to Apply Form. If you have questions about the program, contact Kara Ignasiak at kara.ignasiak@dpi.wi.gov.
Timeline:
- Monday, March 31, 2025 – Notice of Intent to Apply due to DPI
- Friday, April 18, 2025 – Host site application due to DPI (this will be sent to you once the Notification of Intent to Apply is received)
- Wednesday, April 19 to Sunday, May 4, 2025 – DPI application review process
- Monday, May 5, 2025 – Target date for grant award notification
- May through August 2025 – Host site member recruitment and onboarding
- Friday, August 15, 2025 – Program implementation
Thank you for your interest in becoming an AmeriCorps Farm to School Host Site in the 2025-26 service year!