Thursday, September 1, 2022
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)
Turnip the Beet Awards – 2022
The Turnip the Beet Award recognizes outstanding summer meal program sponsors across the nation who work hard to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious during the summer months. Last year, the USDA FNS recognized 84 summer meal sponsors with Turnip the Beet awards for excellence. Schools who operated the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or Seamless Summer Option (SSO) in summer 2022 are eligible to apply.
To apply or to nominate another school:
1. Review the Overview of the Turnip the Beet Awards
2. Complete the Nomination Form
3. Send the completed Nomination Form to sso@dpi.wi.gov (for SSO) or cnt@dpi.wi.gov (for SFSP) by October 7, 2022.
Back to School with Team Nutrition
Check out the Team Nutrition's NEW Back to School webpage for even more resources!
Get the Facts with Farm to School Program Fact Sheets
- School Gardens: Using Gardens to Grow Healthy Habits in Cafeterias, Classrooms and Communities
- Gardens in Tribal Communities
- Get the Facts About Food Safety
- What is the Food Safety Modernization Act and How Does it Apply to Produce?
Updates from the DPI School Nutrition Team
And Justice for All Posters
The DPI School Nutrition Team is currently out of And Justice for All posters and has not yet received a supply of updated posters from USDA. As soon as we receive posters from USDA, we will mail a supply to each school food authority (SFA) that participates in the USDA Child Nutrition Programs.
Reminders for the 2022-23 School Year
Hiring Standards for New Food Service Directors
For School Food Authorities (SFAs) that are seeking or have hired a new Food Service Director (FSD) since July 1, 2015, please be aware that there are minimum hiring requirements for new FSDs, which includes minimum education and relevant food service experience. These hiring standards vary based on the enrollment of the SFA. In addition, eight hours of food safety training is required either not more than five years prior to their starting date or completed within 30 days of their start date. It is recommended the food safety training be completed by receiving a Food Protection Manager Certification. SFAs with an enrollment of 2,400 or less that are unable to hire a FSD that meets the minimum requirements may qualify for an exemption.
Please contact karrie.isaacson@dpi.wi.gov for more information.
See the Professional Standards Webpage for more information on the specific FSD hiring standards.
Civil Rights Training
USDA requires civil rights training on an annual basis for all who interact with Child Nutrition Programs participants. The training outlines specific civil rights regulations that govern these programs and informs SFAs receiving Federal financial assistance of their rights and responsibilities. The Civil Rights Webcast has been updated, along with PDF Versions of the PowerPoint, which are also available in Spanish and Hmong. The PDF versions may printed and reviewed by school staff. Maintain an Attendance Record of all staff who reviewed the training and keep on file for your records.
School Meal Eligibility
Since we are transitioning back to the “traditional” National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, students will need to establish an eligibility of free, reduced or paid.
The Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility webpage is full of helpful resources including the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application, template notification letters, Direct Certification information, online learning modules, sharing of information forms and more to assist you with communicating to households and for determining students meal eligibility.
Schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) will continue to provide free meals to all enrolled students and meal counts are encouraged but not required to be recorded by student name.
Carryover
Some students may be in an eligibility carryover status for the first 30 operating days of school; however, a new determination by DC or application ends the carryover period, even if the meal eligibility status is lower than last year. An “N” code (no match) from DC is not considered a new determination. Other qualifying eligibility match codes of S, T, O, E, G, M, or Z are considered a new determination.
If a student was in a carryover status with free meal benefits from last school year and is recently matched with a “Z” code (reduced price) through Direct Certification, this is considered a NEW eligibility determination and would change their status to reduced, thus ending the 30 operating day carryover period. This does not qualify for Adverse Action; the new determination takes effect immediately. You may give the household up to 5 days for notification and to deposit money into the student’s account.
A household’s carryover status of free or reduced price meal benefits applies to new household students entering school, such as a child entering Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten.
School Meal Claiming
The work arounds used to claim while operating the Seamless Summer Option meals no longer applies. point of service meal counts are required to be taken by student name and meals are claimed based on the student eligibility status. Monthly claims must include the number of students eligible for free or reduced priced meals, the free, reduced and paid meal counts, actual enrollment for the site, Average Daily Attendance for the month and Edit Checks are required.
Since it has been a few years since any SFA has submitted a claim based on eligibility, please review the Site Based Claim Manual for detailed instructions. We also have a Site Based Claiming Webcast available.
Unpaid Meal Charge Policy
Another important reminder is that all SFAs operating the USDA school meal programs are required to have a written Unpaid Meal Charge Policy in place that clearly communicates to households and SFA staff on how unpaid meal charges will be addressed. The SFA’s Unpaid Meal Charge Policy must be provided in writing (mail, email, back-to-school packet, student handbook, etc.) to all households at the start of each school year. Posting the policy to the school’s public website does not meet this requirement.
For a snapshot on what the policy should include, see the Unpaid Meal Charges In a “Nutshell”. For a comprehensive overview including best practices and helpful materials, see the Unpaid Meal Charges section of the USDA website or the Unpaid Meal Charges webpage. As a reminder, bad debt cannot be absorbed by the nonprofit school food service account.
Supply Chain Assistance Funds
Supply Chain Assistance (SCA) funds are not recorded under Grants on the Annual Financial Report (AFR) as other grants the SFA received. Since public schools recorded SCA funds under WUFAR code 717 Revenue Source - federal reimbursement and 547 Program/Project Code – National School Lunch (NSL), the entire SCA amount, for both public and private schools, is recorded under NSL revenue on the AFR and expensed to NSL “food” as it is used. The NSL food expense may carry over into the 22-23 AFR reporting year.
Virtual Schools
As virtual schools are becoming more common, we have received many questions about whether students enrolled in a virtual school are eligible for school meals. Per 7 CFR 210.2, a virtual school does not meet the definition of a school because it is not located in a “single building or complex of buildings” and is therefore not eligible to participate. However, students enrolled in a virtual school may receive meals while attending classes required for graduation in a school building. These meals must be consumed onsite at the school and cannot be taken home. As a reminder, the waivers have expired, so meals can no longer be picked up to be taken home by students enrolled in a virtual school.
Nutritious, Delicious, Wisconsin Week
The Wisconsin School Nutrition Team will be hosting its first Nutritious, Delicious, Wisconsin Week this fall! Schools around the state will pledge to serve one of two featured Wisconsin dishes during the week of October 24-28. The featured dishes are a Wisconsin Parfait and a Taco Slaw.
Interested in participating? Please complete the Pledge Form! All pledges must be made by September 28. Questions? Email us at DPIFNSTeamNutrition@dpi.wi.gov.
Great Beginnings Academy
Great Beginnings Academy is a training series intended for Food Service Directors and Managers who are new to school nutrition. We will meet virtually each Thursday in September from 1-3:00 PM via Microsoft Teams. Guests speakers will join us throughout the month to discuss topics related to school nutrition with the goal of increasing confidence in operating the USDA School Meals Programs.
Other Updates and Information
Institute of Culinary Nutrition Webinar: Procurement Strategies for the 2022/2023 School Year
Date: Thursday, September 1, 2022
Time: 2 – 3:00 PM CST
School nutrition programs continue to face supply chain-related challenges around procurement, leaving program operators wondering how to adapt and remain flexible. This webinar will include a review of current USDA assistance and waivers and a panel discussion on tips and strategies for procurement and menu planning
2022 Great Lakes Apple Crunch
What is the Crunch? Celebrate National Farm to School Month by collectively purchasing and crunching into locally grown apples at noon on Thursday, October 13, 2022! Everyone is welcome to participate (K-12 schools, early care and education sites, farms, local businesses, and households).
Why Register? Help us reach the goal of 1.2 MILLION crunches this year in the Midwest! After you register, you will receive access to Crunch resources to help you plan a fun and successful Crunch! Registrants will also receive a newsletter leading up to Crunch Day with resource highlights, apple activity inspirations, Crunch tools, and more.
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Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Jill K. Underly, PhD, State Superintendent
125 S Webster Street
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-3390 • (800) 441-4563