You are here

School Nutrition Bulletin 1920-23

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Announcements from the WI DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT)

Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

 

COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #26: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs - EXTENSION 2
USDA has issued the second extension of the nationwide waiver to allow meal pattern flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs. This waiver has been extended to July 31, 2020, due to the public health emergency.
 
This waiver extends previously approved meal pattern flexibility waivers and allows agencies to submit waiver requests if experiencing supply disruptions for one or more components that begin during this extended period. A Meal Pattern Flexibility Waiver should only be completed if your School Food Authority (SFA) is currently experiencing a difficulty procuring and serving one or more components per meal pattern requirements. You do not need to resubmit a waiver form for meal pattern flexibility on components already approved if still experiencing these same supply disruptions.
 
This waiver is not meant to circumvent meal pattern requirements.
 
COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #29: Nationwide Waiver of Onsite Monitoring Requirements in the School Meals Programs - Revised - EXTENSION
This USDA waiver does two things. First, it waives the onsite portion of the administrative reviews.
 
In addition, the waiver cites 7 CFR 210.8 as one of the waived regulatory citations. 7 CFR 210.8 requires each SFA with more than one school to perform at least one onsite review of the counting and claiming system and the observable general areas. This review is required to be completed by February 1 for NSLP. Therefore, the onsite self-monitoring requirement for SFAs participating in ONLY NSLP is not waived as that monitoring was to be completed by February 1, 2020, prior to COVID. Per 7 CFR 210.18(e)(3)(ii), SFAs are required to review all SSO sites at least once per year during operation of the SSO. Given that CN Response #29 waives SFA onsite monitoring requirements due to COVID 19 through August 31, 2020, the requirement for SFAs to self-monitor their SSO sites is waived. SFAs should, to the maximum extent possible, continue their self-monitoring as a desk review.
 
If a SFA elects to be subject to the onsite waiver for their self-monitoring, they must notify the DPI School Nutrition Team in the SSO application.
 
COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #32: Nationwide Waiver to Extend Area Eligibility Waivers through August 31, 2020
This USDA waiver extends previously approved statewide waivers that allow program operators to establish Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Seamless Summer Option (SSO) open sites in areas that do not meet area eligibility requirements. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) extends the ability for SFAs to continue operating open sites in areas that are not located in “areas in which poor economic conditions exist” through August 31, 2020, but FNS reserves the right to withdraw this approval subject to availability of funding. SFAs that wish to continue to operate SSO, will need to complete the SSO Application for SY 2020-21, providing program operation details. For any SFA that selects the closed enrolled site or restricted open option, the site must meet eligibility requirements and should be serving the different age/grade group meal patterns.
 
REMINDER: Nationwide Waiver of Local School Wellness Policy Triennial Assessments
The USDA recently issued a Nationwide Waiver of Local School Wellness Policy Triennial Assessments in the NSLP and School Breakfast Programs. This nationwide waiver is established to support schools unable to complete a triennial assessment of the local school wellness policies by June 30, 2020, due to closures as a result of COVID-19. The new first triennial assessment deadline is June 30, 2021 for those Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) opting to use this waiver, with the second triennial assessment due by June 30, 2024. LEAs must notify the Wisconsin DPI of their intent to utilize this waiver. LEAs seeking to extend the triennial assessment deadline must complete the Local School Wellness Policy Triennial Assessment Waiver Notification Form by June 30, 2020.
 
LEAs are encouraged to complete the triennial assessment by June 30, 2020, if they are able. The DPI School Nutrition Team has developed the Wisconsin Local Wellness Policy Report Card for LEAs use to complete the triennial assessment. This tool is the only comprehensive, free tool available for Wisconsin SFAs at this time. The report card is attached and available at the Local Wellness Policy webpage.
 

Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team

 

Direct Certification Update
The Department of Children and Families will be updating the Direct Certification (DC) database as part of the annual maintenance process. The DC portal will remain open until June 30 at 11:59 pm. The system will be up and running for SFA matches starting the morning of July 8.
 
Q&A Update
Check out this document frequently as information continues to change.
 
Free and Reduced Price Meal Application for School Year 2020-21
The Free and Reduced Meal Eligibility webpage has been updated with the 2020-21 free and reduced meal application materials and public release.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
 
This is a communication from the WI Department of Public Instruction, School Nutrition Team.
You can contact the School Nutrition Team at dpifns@dpi.wi.gov. To subscribe to schoolmealsnews, please send an email to dpifns@dpi.wi.gov.
dpi.wi.gov/school-nutrition #WISchoolMealsRock