Have you received your USDA Funds?

Have you read the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021? Don’t worry, SFS did! 

Section 722 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 provides additional funds to State agencies that administer the following: 

• National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

• School Breakfast Program (SBP)

• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) 

The USDA will provide these funds through two temporary reimbursement programs: 

1. School Programs Emergency Operational Cost Reimbursement Program and 

2. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Emergency Operational Costs Reimbursement Program.

Using a statutory formula, the emergency operational costs are designed to provide additional reimbursements for eligible school food authorities (SFAs) and CACFP operators whose revenues declined or were interrupted during the early months of the COVID-19 public health emergency. During this time, many program operators experienced significant loss in revenue and in many cases were forced to expend their savings, draw funds from other sources, and cut or suspend operations. 

This federal relief is intended to help address such shortfalls. Program operators must maintain documentation to ensure funds are used solely for allowable Food Service program costs, as they would under any other circumstances. 

In California, SFA’s will see these payments posted in the CNIPS payment portal. 

If you have questions re: Child and Nutrition Emergency Operational Cost reimbursement please reach out to us here.

Is your kitchen in need of equipment?

The 2021–22 budget package launches the Universal School Meals Program, with an increase in state meal reimbursements by $54 million in the 2021–22 fiscal year and an estimated $650 million ongoing Prop 98 funding beginning in 2022–23, to cover the costs of offering breakfast and lunch for all students, regardless of income eligibility. 

This is big money for schools! 

To prepare, the budget also provides $150 million one-time Prop 98 funds for kitchen upgrades and training for food service employees to promote nutritious foods and healthy food preparation. The amount of $120 million ($25,000 per district) will be used for kitchen upgrades and equipment. The remaining $30 million ($2,000 per district) will be used for training and promoting nutritious foods and healthy food preparation.

More info here regarding the CA Budget Act for 2021–22

SFA’s can also apply for the 2021 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant (EAG). For California schools, you can find more information HERE. Are you located in a different state? Reach out to School Food Solutions and we can help you locate available equipment funding. 

Attention CA Schools: There are only two weeks left to apply! The application deadline is 4 p.m. PST on Tuesday, December 14, 2021.

Highlighting our Heroes!

Hello School Food Solutions friends! The time is here! That’s right! School Lunch Hero day 2021 is this Friday, May 02, 2021! This year, School Food Solutions would like to give a shoutout to few lunch heroes who were nominated to participate in our Food Service Employee Day contest last October! Five special food service employees were selected as recipients of our cash card giveaway! Read more about these awesome school lunch heroes below!

Iysha Brooks - Palm Lane Charter School (CA)

Iysha Brooks was nominated for going over and beyond during her school’s closure periods by ensuring that all students received healthy meals each day. Because of her hard work and dedication, Palm Lane Charter School passed all of their audits that were scheduled during the midst of the pandemic. Because of Palm Lane Charter School ‘s closure, Iysha's hours were reduced, but her service to Palm Lane did not. She continued to serve their students each week with a smile. Palm Lane Charter School seemed very happy to have Iysha and they were very thankful for her service and dedication…..

Brandon Hughes - Purpose Prep (TN)

Mr. Hughes is someone who’s ALWAYS dependable and gets things done at Purpose Prep. In addition to his service on the operations team and being someone who’s very amazing behind-the-scenes, Mr. Hughes went above and beyond to ensure that Purpose Prep’s students’ breakfast, lunch, and snack nutritional programs were properly executed. At the early start of his day, Mr. Hughes would make sure that all food orders were delivered while working to ensure accurate quantity and food temperature. He also worked to ensure that food options were available for all students and their dietary restrictions (food allergies included) were considered….

Jackie Richard - Hosanna Christian Academy (LA)

Ms. Richard went above and beyond feeding the students at Hosanna Christian Academy. She did a great job reaching out and personally getting to know all students. She managed a crew that cooked and served delicious and nutritious meals to their students. She also fed the homeless and found several recourses to meet their needs.

Arlease Ward - FirstLine - Langston Hughes Academy (LA)

Arlease was always a pleasant person to work with at Langston Hughes Academy. She was sure to put forth great efforts to make things right for their students to receive their many meals. She always volunteered to help out with any events , even after her normal work hours. She was always known for communicate with all students and getting to know them personally. She took time out of her daily schedule to collaborate with other staff members to that everyone was on the same page for meals and schedules. She is a great leader for her staff and always has a calm demeanor. She's great at being versatile and accommodating with changes and never complains…

Linda McCall - Somerset Academy of Las Vegas (NV)

Despite the many challenges with their school closure and multiple ever-changing plans for reopening, Linda was one of the most flexible and understanding members of the Somerset Academy of Las Vegas school staff. With a smile on her face, she arrived earlier than anyone and diligently attended to her many responsibilities. Because of her continued efforts, their students, who were not attending school on campus, were still able to receive nutritious meals every week. When meals weren't picked up, Linda continued to call parents until she was able to connect with them and set up alternative times for them to pick up their child's meals. Linda is passionate when it comes to feeding the children of Somerset Academy of Las Vegas, and she made every effort to ensure that they had food in their bellies….

For full stories, be sure to check out our original blog post from last year at: http://www.schoolfoodsolutions.org/blog/2020/10/15/happy-national-school-lunch-week-congrats-to-the-winners

Also, check out a few cool snapshots that were sent in with nominations! Our school heroes are looking good in their superhero uniforms! Thank you so much to all of our wonderful schools and staff who recognize their lunch heroes! These individuals are always saving the day for our students and families!

Be sure to send us any 2021 School Lunch Hero recommendations and shout-outs to info@schoolfoodsolutions.org!

USDA Issues Pandemic Flexibilities through June 2022

Big news! The USDA has now issued new pandemic flexibilities through June 2022!!

The USDA has issues 12 new pandemic waivers, we listed them all below. Here are the big highlights to help your school plan for the fall:

• These waivers will allow all students will eat for free through the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO).

• The USDA provided flexibility to continue with grab & go and parent pickup for virtual and hybrid students.  

• The Meal Pattern Flexibility waiver is back! This will allow SFAs some allowance around meal requirements when facing procurement and service difficulties. 

• Plus more $$$$, the SSO meals will be reimbursed at Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) rates. 

Remember, these waivers still pass through your own state’s nutrition department, so you can expect more state-specific guidance in the coming weeks.

Got questions?

We can answer them, call us at (877)-633-2373 or email us at info@schoolfoodsolutions.org

The nationwide waivers available for SY 2021–22 SY include:

COVID–19: Child Nutrition Response #85: Nationwide Waiver to Allow the Seamless Summer Option through School Year 2021-2022

COVID–19: Child Nutrition Response #86: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Summer Food Service Program Reimbursement Rates in School Year 2021-2022

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 87: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Non-Congregate Meal Service for School Year 2021-2022

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 88: Nationwide Waiver of Meal Times Requirements for School Year 2021-2022

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 89: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children for School Year 2021-2022

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 90: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Specific School Meal Pattern Flexibility for School Year 2021-2022

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 91: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Specific Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for School Year 2021-2022

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 92: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Offer Versus Serve Flexibility for Senior High Schools in School Year 2021-2022

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 93: Nationwide Waiver of Area Eligibility in the Afterschool Programs and for Family Day Care Home Providers in School Year 2021-2022

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 94: Nationwide Waiver of Onsite Monitoring Requirements in the School Meal Programs – Revised – Extension 3

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 95: Nationwide Waiver of Onsite Monitoring Requirements for State Agencies in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – Extension 3

COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response # 96: Nationwide Waiver of Onsite Monitoring Requirements for Sponsors in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – Extension

A reflection from our Chief Executive Officer, Tess Bradford

Dear Clients and Friends,

As we approach the one-year mark since the start of the shutdown, many of us are reflecting on the past year and remembering what our world looked like one year ago. By the end of March 2020, there was a clear call to action for school food programs across the country to continue to serve meals to children. I am humbled to have worked alongside so many Cafeteria Managers and School Operations teams that jumped into action to answer the call. We were called “essential workers,” but the folks I have worked with over the past year are so much more. Despite the risks, these people -- many of you reading this -- selflessly continued working to engineer safe ways to get food to as many children as possible in our communities. 

Throughout this year, the regulations have changed, meal service styles have transformed, and school food programs have remained nimble and innovative with a central mission to feed children. I am very proud to have played a small part in helping them.

Our team at School Food Solutions sees the immense challenges that schools of all sizes face as students return to in-person learning. This past year taught us that collaboration and partnerships are crucial. I would like to share one such experience where teamwork, innovation, and leveraging partnerships helped to ensure that students in New Orleans had uninterrupted access to nutritious meals:

There have been many lessons learned and barriers broken down over the past year. I am optimistic that we will soon see children enjoying meals at school (maybe even in the cafeteria) again! I know this will lead to new challenges, new regulatory hurdles, and also new opportunities. The School Food Solutions team is always ready to help our partners provide healthy meals to every student, and we are honored to continue this work.

With Gratitude,
Tess Bradford
School Food Solutions