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.

February 4, 2026 - RELEASE: 2026 SFSP Reimbursement Rates
USDA has published the 2026 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) reimbursement rates. The new rates, which reflect a 3.7% increase from 2025, are published on the SquareMeals Summer Meals Reimbursement Rates page:

https://squaremeals.org/Programs/Summer-Meal-Programs/Reimbursement-Rates

 

February 3, 2026 - RELEASE: 2026 Ramadan Non-Congregate Feeding Waiver Request Form
The 2026 Ramadan Non-Congregate Feeding Waiver Request Form has been posted to TX-UNPS Download Forms (SNP-000 SNP Waiver Portal for school districts, CACFP-113 for CACFP CEs). This waiver allows eligible operators in good standing to offer meals that participants in attendance and observing Ramadan can take off-site and consume after fasting. Note that per USDA guidance, this waiver is only available to Contracting Entities operating NSLP, SBP, CACFP At-Risk sites, CACFP Emergency Shelters, CACFP Outside-School-Hours Care Centers, and CACFP Adult Day Care Centers.

Requesting CEs must submit this form and be approved prior to serving any non-congregate meals. In using this waiver, CEs agree to the following:

•  Multi-day meal bundling and parent pick-up are not allowed under this waiver.
• Non-congregate meals must only be distributed to participants who have indicated verbally or in writing that they are fasting between February 17 and March 19, 2026.
•  If a participant chooses to consume a meal or snack during the day, schools or CACFP operators may not deny a meal or snack because the participant is thought to be fasting.

February 3, 2026 - RELEASE: School Data for Area Eligibility Report
on an annual basis, tda must 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 2025-2026 report, based on october 2025 claims data for non-cep schools and the april 2025 cep isp report for cep schools, has been posted to squaremeals on the nslp, cacfp, and summer feeding administration/forms pages.


February 3, 2026 - REELASE: Revised adult meal price calculator
The adult meal price calculator has been modified to remove severe need reimbursement from the Method 1 calculation for adult breakfasts, as paid breakfasts do not receive severe need reimbursement. The revised adult meal price calculator can be found on the NSLP Administration/Forms page: https://squaremeals.org/programs/national-school-lunch-program/administration-forms


January 14, 2026 - New milk flexibilities now available for school lunches
On January 14, 2026, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 was signed into law, providing new milk options and service flexibilities in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This law modifies National School Lunch Act language that pertains only to lunches served in NSLP and does not apply to breakfasts served in the School Breakfast Program or snacks/meals served in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. TDA is awaiting further guidance about future rulemaking and application to other nutrition programs. for details on these flexibilities, see the news page here: https://squaremeals.org/news/article-view/article/4013/new-milk-flexibilities-now-available-for-school-lunches


December 29. 2025 - RELEASE: Revised excess net cash resources plan
TDA has revised and published the excess net cash resources plan template to clarify that TDA's signature on a submitted form indicates a cursory review of the form was completed and does not reflect an approval of all procurements listed by the school food authority on the form. All procurement, including capital expenditure requests, must comply with federal regulations and TDA guidance.

The revised form is located on the NSLP Administration/Forms page (https://squaremeals.org/programs/national-school-lunch-program/administration-forms).


December 17. 2025 - Increase to the micro-purchase threshold
On October 1, the Office of Management and Budget increased the micro-purchase threshold from $10,000 to $15,000. Effective immediately, all contracting entities can use this higher threshold when using the micro-purchase method of procurement. All handbooks will be updated early next year to reflect this new threshold. All other procurement requirements remain unchanged.

• Texas Administrative Code, 4.1: General Procedures
• Texas Administrative Code, 4.25: Special Nutrition Programs
• Texas Administrative Code, 4.26: Food and Nutrition Division
• Texas Administrative Code, 4.26.E: Appeal Procedures for F&N

The USDA interactive Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (FBG) allows CEs to search creditable food items for food yield information to help determine the specific contribution each food item makes towards a reimbursable meal in all Child Nutrition Programs. It also provides useful tools, such as the Recipe Analysis Workbook and the Product Formulation Statement Workbook. In addition, with yield data for more than 2,100 food items, this guide provides ideas for adding new foods or new versions of familiar foods to your menus. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize that a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains, especially dark green and red/orange vegetables and whole grains, are key elements of a healthful diet.

Contracting entities may also use the following resources to assist in ensuring that meals meet program requirements for reimbursement:

• USDA’s Exhibit A: Grain Requirements for Child Nutrition Programs for crediting grains.
• The Food Buying Guide Calculator for Child Nutrition Programs, an app-based calculator developed by USDA’s Team Nutrition and the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), to determine how much of each item to purchase to provide the number of servings needed.

NOTE: Contents of all Food Buying Guide Supplements previously found on this page have been incorporated into the FBG. Requests for copies of archived Food Buying Guide Supplements can be emailed to FNDPolicy@Texasagriculture.gov. In the subject of the email, list the full name of the Food Buying Guide Supplement requested.

HB 1305—Breakfast Mandate
Starting with School Year 2015-2016, public and charter schools that are mandated to offer breakfast may operate a locally funded breakfast program in lieu of the federally funded School Breakfast Program. 

School districts or charter schools may have schools that operate the School Breakfast Program and other schools that operate a locally funded breakfast program. In these cases, the school district or charter school must fully fund its locally funded breakfast program from resources other than the Child Nutrition Program. 

Locally funded breakfast programs are eligible for state compensatory funding. Please note state compensatory funding is administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

HB 3562—Charge Policy
If a school district allows students to use prepaid meal cards or accounts to purchase school meals, the district must establish a grace period during which a student is able to charge meals after the prepaid funds are exhausted.  

The school district must also notify the student’s parent or guardian that the student’s meal card or account balance is exhausted. The district is not allowed to charge a fee or interest in connection with meals purchased by the students during the grace period. When the school district notifies the student’s parent or guardian that the student has a negative balance, the district may set a repayment schedule for the meal charges.