|
|
|
Headlines
|
|
This page contains News for all programs. To view News for specific programs,
please select from the options below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Published: 2 hours ago
" In Summer 2026, some school districts and sponsors in rural areas will be eligible to operate non-congregate sites within 2 miles of another summer site. Eligible organizations must demonstrate in their applications that they meet the criteria for using those flexibilities.
"
New in Summer 2026, TDA is introducing new flexibilities to the rural summer non-congregate feeding program that will allow some school districts and sponsors to operate non-congregate sites within two miles of another site if they meet certain criteria.
Exceptions for Operators that Use USDA Foods
TDA will approve exceptions to the 2-mile radius proximity requirement on a case-by-case basis for eligible sponsors that currently utilize USDA Foods within SFSP or other federal programs, including the Food Distribution Program in the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food and Assistance Program, and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Because these operators are familiar with using technology-based systems to track, order, and utilize USDA Foods, they are most likely to be able to implement a technology-based attendance/registration tracking system that can be shared by multiple sites within a 2.0-mile radius. To be eligible for this flexibility, operators must meet the following requirements:
- The sites within 2.0 miles of one another must both be operated by the same sponsor. TDA will not approve a site within 2.0 miles of another sponsor’s site except under specific case-by-case circumstances as noted in the Summer Rural Non-Congregate FAQs (coming soon!).
- All sites must be able to track the participants who have already received meals at another nearby site and use this data to prevent participants from receiving duplicate meals. The sponsor must have a system in place for registering each child receiving a meal, and all nearby sites must have access to this participant data at the time of each service, including real-time access for sites operating concurrently.
- Sponsors must develop and submit a plan that contains:
- The total number of sites they plan to operate.
- A justification for why multiple sites in close proximity are needed.
- A detailed description of the system used to track and register participants.
- Robust procedures for mitigating the risk of serving duplicate meals.
Exceptions for Mobile Routes
Sponsors that plan to operate mobile routes with rural non-congregate meal service may be exempt from the 2-mile proximity requirement because only one site operates at a time along a mobile route, and the site staff are likely the same at each stop, reducing the risk of duplicate meals being served to the same participants. To allow multiple “site” stops within 2.0 miles of one another, the sponsor must adhere to the following requirements:
- Each stop on the route cannot be within 2.0 miles of another SFSP or SSO site.
- Sponsors must submit a site application and Non-Congregate Request Form for each stop along a mobile route and must indicate within the Request Form that the site is a stop along a mobile route.
Closed Enrolled Summer School Sites
TDA may allow schools to establish closed-enrolled SFSP or SSO summer sites that serve only enrolled summer school students if:
- The district is operating a separate open non-congregate site at or in close proximity to the location of the summer school; and
- The open non-congregate site is serving meals while summer school is in session, thus preventing the summer school students from attending the open site.
NOTE: This policy is only allowable because the school is operating a non-congregate site serving the community at or near the location of the summer school location. In any other case, closed-enrolled sites serving only summer school students are prohibited by regulation and will not be approved. Sites wanting to feed summer school students but not operate a non-congregate service must operate as a congregate open site and allow the community to receive meals.
To learn more and stay informed about non-congregate summer meal service, visit SquareMeals.
###
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help. Additional translations services available as well.
|
|
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
|
|
1. Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
|
|
| This institution is an equal opportunity provider. |
 |
|
|
|