All the most current resources you need to successfully operate the School Nutrition Programs are available here. TDA keeps this page updated with any new policy updates and news, including the following:
- Handbook release notices with update summaries
- Form release notices
- Brand new policy updates that have not yet been updated within the handbooks
- FAQs and other resources, as required
Please bookmark this page and check back periodically.
September 5, 2024 - TDA Requesting Waiver to Align School Food Authority NSLP and CACFP At-Risk Review Cycles
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is requesting from USDA a waiver that would allow any eligible School Food Authority (SFA) concurrently operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) At-Risk program to have their review cycles for CACFP At-Risk be brought into alignment with the newly allowable 5-year review cycle for NSLP. Note that if approved, SFAs not currently in good standing, being managed by a Food Service Management Company, or otherwise requiring a shorter review cycle after being determined high risk, will be excluded from this waiver.
August 27, 2024 - RELEASE: Updated Spanish versions of NSLP and SMP Household Applications, Application Letters, and Eligibility Letters
Revised Spanish versions of the NSLP and SMP Household Applications, Application Letters, and Eligibility Letters were published on the SquareMeals Administration/Forms and Eligibility pages. These documents were updated to reflect the correct version of the Spanish nondiscrimination statement. There is no action required if you have already distributed these items with the incorrect Spanish NDS. Please use the latest Spanish version if you have not yet distributed eligibility determination letters.
August 6, 2024 - Public Notification of Request to Waive SSO Reviews for School Food Authorities with No Findings during an Administrative Review in the Prior School Year
TDA is requesting a waiver from USDA that would exempt TDA from conducting a required Seamless Summer Option (SSO) review when a School Food Authority’s (SFA’s) NSLP Administrative Review conducted in the same school year resulted in no findings.
USDA approved the same waiver during the last NSLP review cycle, and TDA now seeks to implement this new waiver for the duration of its new 5-year cycle
Note that TDA will only use this waiver for SFAs operating standard congregate SSO service in the summer after the NSLP review.
July 31, 2024 - RELEASE: Updated Excess Net Cash Resources Plan for SNP operators
An updated Excess Net Cash Resources Plan form has been released and posted to SquareMeals.org to reflect TDA’s discretion to expand the excess net cash resource threshold from 3 months to six months’ average expenditures. Note that this applies to school nutrition program operators only.
This change is not retroactive, and any school food authority that has already submitted a spend-down plan for having an excess of three months’ average expenditures in its account must adhere to its submitted plan.
The form can be located in the Forms table here on SquareMeals: https://squaremeals.org/Programs/NationalSchoolLunchProgram/AdministrationForms.aspx
July 30, 2024 - Unanticipated School Closure Non-Congregate Flexibilities Approved by USDA
USDA has given TDA the discretion to approve specific flexibilities and waivers for school districts experiencing an unanticipated school closure during School Year 2024-2025. These flexibilities include non-congregate service, meal service time exceptions, waiver of OVS requirements, parent pick-up flexibilities, service at the closed school site, and waiver of enrichment activities (if operating CACFP At-Risk during the closure). It also allows for SFSP and SSO to be operated at any time during the school year in the event of an unanticipated closure. Note that all non-congregate flexibilities will only be approved for a maximum of 10 calendar days at one time.
Schools experiencing a closure must submit the recently updated Unanticipated School Closure Notification Form currently published on the NSLP Administration/Forms page. Please refer to ARM Section 24, Disaster Situations, for specific guidance on operating during an unanticipated school closure.
July 25, 2024 - RELEASE: Revised Letter to Household - Eligibility Determination - Multiple Templates (SPANISH)
TDA has revised the Spanish version of the Eligibility Determination Letters to Household Suite to update the timeframe for requesting an appeal from 10 business days to 10 calendar days.
July 12, 2024 - SY 2024-2025 Reimbursement Rates for School Nutrition Programs Published
The 2024-2025 reimbursement rates for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and the Special Milk Program have been posted on the NSLP Reimbursement Rates page: https://squaremeals.org/Programs/National-School-Lunch-Program/Reimbursement-Rates. Note that the performance-based reimbursement for eligible Contracting Entities is increasing from 8 cents to 9 cents.
May 31, 2024 - RELEASE: School Year 2024-2025 Household Applications
The following SNP-related forms have been released and posted. All below documents can be found in the Forms table at: https://squaremeals.org/Programs/NationalSchoolLunchProgram/NSLPAdministrationamp;Forms.aspx
- School Meal Applications
- 2024-2025 Standard (Multi-Child) Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (English and Spanish versions)
- 2024-2025 Multi-Use Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (English and Spanish versions)
- 2024-2025 Multi-Child Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (Nonpublic School Version) (English and Spanish versions)
- 2024-2025 Application Directions (English and Spanish versions)
- 2024-2025 Application Letter to the Household for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (English and Spanish versions)
NOTE: The documents listed above can also be accessed at: https://squaremeals.org/Programs/NationalSchoolLunchProgram/EligibilityandVerification/HouseholdApplications.aspx
Additionally, the following Special Milk Program documents have been released and posted at: http://squaremeals.org/Programs/SpecialMilkProgram/SMPAdministrationamp;Forms.aspx
- 2024-2025 Multi-Child Application for Free Milk (English and Spanish versions)
- 2024-2025 Application Directions (English and Spanish versions)
- 2024-2025 Application Letter to the Household for Free Milk (English and Spanish versions)
May 31, 2024 - RELEASE: Multiple ARM Sections
Several revised ARM sections have been posted and released as follows:
- Section 4, Eligibility Determination
- Section 7, Breakfast Meals
- Section 8, Lunch Meals
- Section 14, USDA Foods,
- Section 14a, USDA Foods Processing
- Section 16, Financial Services
- Section 20, Counting and Claiming
- Section 24, Disasters
Update Guide sections located at the beginning of each ARM section provide more information about the topics addressed in each release.
You can find the ARM at:
http://www.squaremeals.org/Programs/NationalSchoolLunchProgram/NSLPPolicyamp;ARM.aspx.
Please replace any previous versions of the above sections that you may have saved.
May 23, 2024 - RELEASE: 2024-2025 Paid Lunch Equity Tool
TDA has released the Paid Lunch Equity Tool for the upcoming SY 2024-2025 on the NSLP Administration/Forms page.
May 22, 2024 - RELEASE: New and Updated Summer Non-Congregate FAQs and Forms
TDA has released the following new prototype forms to assist rural summer operators in documenting operational activities related to non-congregate service:
Additionally, Summer Non-Congregate FAQs have been updated with new clarifying guidance. Please visit the Summer Non-Congregate Feeding Program page on SquareMeals (https://squaremeals.org/Programs/Summer-Meal-Programs/Summer-Non-Congregate-Feeding-Program) to access the forms and the FAQs. The forms are also located on the NSLP and Summer Meals Administration/Forms pages, as applicable.
May 22, 2024 - RELEASE: Revised Onsite Food Production Record for the School Nutrition Programs
TDA has released a revised Daily Food Production Record suite for the School Nutrition Programs. The Onsite Kitchen Production Record along with associated instructions have been updated so that school districts can better document both the amounts planned for each food/menu item as well as the number of portions of each food/menu item served. Additional functional improvements were also added to the Onsite Form.
Note that the Central Kitchen and Receiving Kitchen forms have not changed from the last version and will be updated at a later date.
This form is available on the NSLP Administration/Forms page (https://squaremeals.org/Programs/National-School-Lunch-Program/Administration-Forms).
April 10, 2024 - 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act's Effect on Sodium Levels, Milk Options, and Paid Lunch Equity
On March 9, 2024, the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law that provides new guidelines affecting the Child Nutrition Programs, as follows:
- School Food Authorities (SFAs) with a zero or positive balance in their non-profit food service account as of June 30, 2023, are exempt from Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) requirements.
- Current School Year 2023–2024 sodium limits for the School Nutrition Programs shall remain effective through School Year 2026–2027, after which sodium limits that may be included in any rulemaking, notice, or guidance will not be more restrictive than the established Target 2 sodium levels.
- Service of low fat or fat free flavored milk in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) for grades Kindergarten through 12th grade and in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for participants 6 years of age and older remains allowable.
- SFAs participating in SBP can continue to credit any vegetable offered, including potatoes and other starchy vegetables, in place of fruit without including vegetables from other sub-groups in the weekly menus.
- No Child Nutrition Program funds can be used to procure raw or processed poultry products or seafood imported into the United States from the People’s Republic of China.
March 1, 2024 - RELEASE: Small Purchase Log
A revised Small Purchase Log has been released on the CACFP, Summer Meals, and NSLP Administration/Forms pages on SquareMeals. The previous version of this form was designed specifically for NSLP CEs, but it has been updated so that any Child Nutrition Program operator can track their small purchases throughout the Program Year.
March 1, 2024 - RELEASE: 2024-2025 Income Eligibility Guidelines
The 2024-2025 Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) for all child nutrition and household programs have been released and posted to SquareMeals here: https://squaremeals.org/FandN-Resources/Income-Eligibility-Guidelines.
Household applications with the new IEGs will be posted to SquareMeals in the coming months.
February 9, 2024 - RELEASE: School Data for Area Eligibility Report
TDA must, on an annual basis, publish a list of schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in which at least one-half of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The School Data for Area Eligibility 2023-2024 report, based on October 2023 claims data for non-CEP schools and the April 2023 CEP ISP report for CEP schools, has been posted to SquareMeals in the following locations:
http://www.squaremeals.org/Programs/ChildandAdultCareFoodProgram/CACFPAdministrationamp;Forms.aspx
http://www.squaremeals.org/Programs/SummerFeedingPrograms/SummerFeedingAdministrationamp;Forms.aspx
https://squaremeals.org/Programs/National-School-Lunch-Program/Administration-Forms
January 11, 2024 - RELEASE: Updated TDA and USDA CEP Resources
TDA has released and posted to the NSLP Administration/Forms page an updated Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Calculation Worksheet for Identified Student Percentage (ISP) and Claiming form. The form has been updated to reflect the reduction of the CEP Eligibility threshold from 40% to 25%. Additionally, USDA has provided a new SY 2023-2024 Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Monthly Federal Reimbursement Estimator tool. The estimator tool and other CEP resources can be found on USDA's Community Eligibility Provision Resource Center.
January 5, 2024 - RELEASE: Unanticipated School Closure Forms
If a school closes due to an unanticipated event and wants to serve students during the closure, the school district must choose an appropriate Program to operate (SFSP, SSO, or CACFP At-Risk) and notify TDA via the newly released Unanticipated School Closure Notification Form. The form also captures whether the district will choose to serve non-congregate meals. More guidance related to unanticipated school closures is available in the newly released FAQs (see entry at top of this page) - this guidance will also be added to the ARM in a future update. The Unanticipated School Closure Notification Form is available permanently on the NSLP Administration/Forms page.
January 4, 2024 - RELEASE: NEW Duplicative Costs FAQ
TDA has released a set of FAQs related to duplicative costs. A duplicative cost is an unallowable expense that results from a Contracting Entity (CE) paying for the same service under multiple contracts using federal funding. Duplicative costs occur when a CE enters a contract for a service currently provided by TDA or partners of TDA, including Education Service Centers (ESCs) and the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN). The Duplicative Costs FAQs are posted on the NSLP, CACFP, and Summer Programs Resources pages (under Policy Documents). This guidance will also be added to Program handbooks in future updates.