Wednesday, October 13, 2021
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 (SNT)
- Other Updates and Information
Updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA Policy Memorandum SP 22-2021: Questions and Answers for Child Nutrition Program Operations in School Year 2021-22, Q&A #2
This memorandum includes questions and answers intended to provide clarification to State agencies and Program operators as they operate the child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program, NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO), and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), during school year (SY) 2021-22.
IMPORTANT: Question #5 is about eligibility carryover. If a School Food Authority (SFA) opts to return to NSLP at some point during this school year, the carryover period will resume. If a SFA remains in the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) for the entire school year, there is no resumption of the eligibility carryover period required. USDA will address carryover in future guidance.
Make sure to read through other important Q&As regarding food safety inspections, adult meal prices, professional standard requirements and more.
New USDA Resources to Support Child Nutrition Program Operators
Team Nutrition Back-to-School Support Kit: As schools work toward resuming regular operations, USDA continues to offer flexibilities in response to public health needs and to ease administrative burden, while still promoting nutritious meals. Learn more about adjusting meal service operations during the dynamic school year ahead by visiting the Planning for a Dynamic School Environment webpage. School Food Authorities (SFAs) can use the new Customizable Letter to Families About School Menus to communicate changes to school meal service and menus with families, students, and others in the school community.
Additionally, the following recorded webinars are available:
USDA Public Release: USDA Provides Broad Support to Ensure School Meal Programs Succeed
“Since the start of the public health crisis, school nutrition professionals have worked tirelessly to continue to serve nutritious meals. USDA has remained steadfast in its commitment to getting them the support they need to successfully operate meal programs amidst changing circumstances. Studies show school meals are the healthiest meals children receive in a day, which is why we must support schools any way we can to get those nutritious meals to our nation’s school children." -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
USDA recently announced Assistance to help schools respond to supply chain disruptions, as part of a comprehensive set of investments to address challenges in American agriculture today. This is the latest example of the ongoing support USDA is providing schools and states as they adapt to the ever-changing pandemic situation while working to ensure children receive nutritious school meals. Through a wide spectrum of new flexibilities, resources, and hands-on support, the department is being responsive to any obstacles program operators are facing this school year and is taking proactive steps to set school nutrition professionals up for success.
USDA is aware that some schools are experiencing challenges purchasing and obtaining food for their meal programs and is taking swift action to ensure that doesn’t interfere with their ability to serve meals to the children in their care. The department is actively engaging with partners to best leverage existing options for addressing potential supply chain issues – such as emergency procurement, higher meal reimbursement rates, and targeted waivers of certain meal standard requirements – and assess any additional needs. In addition, USDA recently took Action to ensure schools are not penalized if they can’t meet meal standards due to supply chain issues. These efforts are in tandem with USDA’s broader Strategy for strengthening the resiliency of the food supply chain, to include a meeting that Secretary Vilsack will convene with industry stakeholders next month.
USDA is also supporting the school meal programs by:
- Providing a broad Suite of Flexibilities for the entire 2021-22 school year that allow schools to leverage the National School Lunch Program’s (NSLP) Seamless Summer Option to serve millions of children nutritious meals at no cost while still receiving the higher Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) reimbursement rate to cover increased operating costs. Many of these flexibilities were announced in April 2021 to give schools ample time to plan for this unique school year.
- Recently issuing several more Flexibilities and resources for states and schools targeted at addressing potential and/or evolving challenges, including waiving certain administrative requirements and ensuring operators can leverage SFSP to serve meals to children during unanticipated school closures.
- Approving state plans to distribute nearly $1.5 billion – including more than $1.1 billion for school meals – in relief funds through the Child Nutrition Emergency Operation Costs Reimbursement Programs to help offset the costs child nutrition program operators incurred during the early months of the pandemic.
- Hosting webinars attended by thousands of school nutrition professionals as well as the state agencies that administer the school meal programs to explain available flexibilities, procurement strategies, and more to help them navigate pandemic-related intricacies.
- Making sure schools receive sufficient Funding for USDA Foods – domestically grown foods purchased by USDA that make up about 20% of the foods served through school meals – despite last year’s meal counts being skewed by the pandemic.
- Facilitating ongoing conversations with key stakeholders from across all aspects of the school meal programs, including school nutritionists, state agency staff, advocacy organizations, governors, Congressional representatives, and those involved in the production and distribution of USDA Foods.
- Publishing a variety of new educational resources to help schools plan and serve meals, including a new set centered around the theme of Planning for a Dynamic School Environment, aimed at helping school nutrition professionals successfully leverage current flexibilities.
- Ensuring schools and their partners understand complementary options for feeding children both in and out of school, such as the Child and Adult Care Food Program’s At-Risk Afterschool Program and grab ‘n’ go meals for children during remote or hybrid learning, student quarantines, and school closures. States may also continue to provide Pandemic EBT Benefits to children attending schools participating in NSLP, either virtually or via a hybrid model.
“USDA is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to supporting the school meal programs, taking action to help schools get out in front of possible challenges and addressing other issues that arise from all angles and with all available resources,” said Vilsack. “We are committed to the program’s success, and confident in its ability to serve children well.”
School meals have been vital to protecting our nation’s children throughout the pandemic. Households with children have been disproportionately impacted by food insecurity during COVID, leaving parents in an impossible position of having to figure out how to make ends meet. School meals have helped to fill in that gap, ensuring a reliable source of nutrition for children throughout the school day.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Team Nutrition!
Team Nutrition has more than 100 Spanish language materials that support healthy eating and physical activity. Click below to see some of our materials for Child Nutrition Program operators, students, and families. Visit our website for more Spanish Materials Available from Team Nutrition.
Team Nutrition Resources for a Strong and Healthy School Year
Celebrate National School Lunch Week: National School Lunch Week is October 11-15, 2021. Visit the Team Nutrition’s School Lunch Resources Webpage for event ideas, recipes, and more to help school nutrition professionals, families, and teachers learn more about school lunch.
Share Stronger with School Meals Materials: Nutritious school meals fuel strong minds and bodies. Celebrate the important work of school nutrition professionals and the school community with Team Nutrition’s Stronger with School Meals educational materials. Print materials coming soon for Team Nutrition Schools.
Test Your Nutrition Knowledge: Team Nutrition’s Web Quizzes are a new and interactive way to test knowledge and build nutrition skills. Use them in the classroom, at staff trainings, or other nutrition events. Try the school lunch and infant nutrition quizzes today and check back for quizzes on other topics coming soon!
Order Print Copies: Get ready for National School Lunch Week! Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program can order free copies of Team Nutrition resources, including school lunch resources and the latest guides for menu planning including MyPlate Guide to School Lunch, Offering Meats and Meat Alternates at School Breakfast, and Offer Versus Serve materials.
Team Nutrition Training Grants Fiscal Year 2016 Highlights (Pages 28-29 of the publication focus on WI)
In September 2016, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service awarded more than $6 million in Team Nutrition Training Grant (TNTG) funds to 13 State agencies that administered the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). State agencies used this funding to implement and evaluate nutrition education, meal service training, and environmental changes in schools or child care sites. This publication showcases the accomplishments, selected interventions, and notable outcomes of these grant activities.
Team Nutrition: Offer Versus Serve (OVS) Guidance
The purpose of Offer versus Serve is to empower students to make their own food choices from the 5 food components, selecting at least 3 components, one of which is 1/2 cup fruit or vegetable. There have recently been questions about whether SFAs may offer three meal components to students bringing a lunch from home and claim it as a reimbursable meal. This is not allowable. While OVS meal service allows students to decline some of the foods offered at lunch, USDA requires that all students must be offered a full meal that includes all five meal components. Team Nutrition has created this handout to help define correct OVS usage.
Updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) School Nutrition Team (SNT)
Adult Meal Pricing for School Year 2021-22
USDA Policy Memorandum SP 22-2021, Q13 includes guidance on adult meal pricing for SY 2021-22 while operating the Seamless Summer Option (SSO). If meals are served to adults including teachers, administrators, custodians, and other adults, School Food Authorities (SFA) must either charge the adults at least the full cost of the meal or use other non-program funds to cover the cost of these meals. Only meals provided to children can be claimed for reimbursement.
Adult meal pricing guidance is found in the USDA FNS Instruction 782-5 Rev. 1. Since students are not charged for meals while operating SSO, the meal programs are considered “non-pricing”. Adult meal pricing is calculated differently using the non-pricing calculation. It is determined by adding the amount of reimbursement received for the meal, plus the per meal value of USDA Foods and State Reimbursement. Since SFAs are receiving the higher Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) reimbursement rates in SY 2021-22, this may result in the need to increase adult meal prices.
The minimum adult meal price for lunch and breakfast for SY 2021-22:
Non-pricing adult lunch price - SFSP lunch reimbursement of $4.3175 + State Reimbursement of $.0664 + USDA Foods value of $.26 = a minimum adult lunch price of $4.65.
Non-pricing adult breakfast price – SFSP breakfast reimbursement of $2.4625 + State reimbursement of $.095 = a minimum adult breakfast price of $2.56.
All SFAs must be meet the above minimum adult meal prices. We understand that the above minimum prices may be significantly higher than you are currently charging and so we are asking that school staff are notified of the increased adult meal price (if applicable) and the school nutrition contract be updated to reflect the adult meal price by December 1, 2021.
Reminder: Meals served to food service employees who are directly involved in the operation and administration of the school nutrition programs may be provided at no charge. As such, the meal cost may be supported by the nonprofit food service account but cannot be claimed for reimbursement or counted towards the donated foods entitlement.
Administrative Reviews (AR) for SY 2021-22
On October 4, 2021, the USDA notified State Agencies of the opportunity to apply for a monitoring and oversight waiver for SY 2021-22. Due to the significant challenges that schools are facing, including staffing and food supply shortages, among other challenges, the SNT has elected to apply for the waiver. The waiver will allow all ARs scheduled for SY 2021-22 to be postponed until SY 2022-23. We anticipate this waiver will be approved.
SSO Guidance: Paying for Meals
If a parent/guardian reports that they do not want their child(ren) to receive free meals and insists on paying, please follow the following guidance: The SSO regulations do not allow students to be charged for meals. If a household would like to pay for their meal, they may do so as a donation. The donation can be received into the Nonprofit Foodservice Account (Fund 50 for public schools, Source 291, Gifts).
School Nutrition Team’s Facebook and Twitter Pages Closing
The WI DPI School Nutrition Programs Facebook and Twitter pages will be closing on November 5, 2021. Please follow the Wisconsin DPI on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you for your support!
Small Victories
This self-paced, interactive training is intended for school food service employees who want to learn about the basics of the breakfast and lunch meal patterns and how to credit food items. Another self-paced training focusing on the basics of the Afterschool Snacks Program will be available soon. As part of this training a live event will be offered in November. Please check the Small Victories Webpage for dates and times.
Reporting and Annual Claim Reminders for School Meal Programs
The following Reports are required when operating the USDA child nutrition programs. More information and reporting portals can be found on the Reporting webpage. For school year 2021-22, instruction manuals have been updated for modifications required when participating in the Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
As a reminder, the Calendar of Program Requirements is a valuable tool to help you be successful in knowing about upcoming reporting due dates and program requirements.
| Report | Due Date | October Lunch Claim |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Financial Report (AFR) for SY 2020-21 | Due August 31, 2021 | October lunch claim and any future claims cannot be submitted |
| FNS-10 |
Reporting Portal opens November 1 Report due November 30 |
October lunch claim and any future claims cannot be submitted until the report is completed. |
| Paid Lunch Price Report (PLP) |
Reporting Portal opens November 1 Report due November 15 |
October lunch claim cannot be submitted until the report is completed. |
| Verification Collection Report (VCR) |
Due February 1, 2022 Reporting portal opens November 1 |
Refer to the verification memo emailed September 27, 2021 with specific information on the verification process for your SFA. This report is not tied to October lunch claim. See the Verification Webpage for more information. |
| Wisconsin School Day Milk Program (WSDMP) claim for SY 2020-21 (Annual Claim) | Due August 31, 2021, if applicable |
October lunch claim and any future claims cannot be submitted until the claim is submitted Reminder, since WSDMP is a state program, it does not fall under the USDA waivers and only students eligible for free or reduced price meals may be claimed. |
| Elderly Nutrition Program Claim for SY 2020-21 (Annual Claim) | Due August 31, 2021, if applicable | October lunch claim and any future claims cannot be submitted until the report is completed. |
Other Updates and Information
Meal Distribution During School Closures: Assessing Your District's Communication Strategies to Ensure Equitable Access
The Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN) has created a self-assessment tool to help schools and school districts communicate with families, students, community members, and service agencies about school meal distribution during planned and unplanned school closures.
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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