Programs > National School Lunch Program > National School Lunch Program Compliance
National School Lunch Program Compliance
Updated NSLP/SBP Infant and Preschool Meal Pattern EXPIRATION of Transition Period Notification   
About the Administrative Review  Minimize 
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as amended by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, requires the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to conduct an Administrative Review (AR) of School Nutrition Programs (SNP) at least once every three years. As a new federal requirement, the AR is designed to conduct specified parts of the review off-site and others on-site. TDA will evaluate compliance with the following program requirements in the Critical and General Areas of Review which include: Meal Access and Reimbursement, Meal Pattern & Nutritional Quality, Resource Management, General Program Compliance and the operation of any other applicable SNP federal programs.

CE Staff involved in the operation of SNP will be heavily involved the review process (off-site and on-site) to respond to questions and provide documentation regarding the operation of SNP. The AR begins approximately 12 weeks prior to TDA doing an on-site review of program operations with the off-site portion of the review. The review is risk based, gathering information and documentation samples during the off-site review and then conducting a more targeted review on-site. CE Staff will be asked to utilize the Texas Unified Nutrition Programs System (TX-UNPS) when providing written responses to questions and uploading requested documentation.  
2019-2020 School Operations Plans  Minimize 
Administrative Review (AR) Plan

TDA will conduct ARs on a three-year cycle. The 400-plus contracting entities (CEs) that will be receiving an AR in the 2019-20 school year are posted on this page under When is My Review?, below.

Procurement Review (PR) Plan

TDA did not renew the contract with J.A. White to conduct PRs. TDA staff will conduct all Food Service Management Company PRs during the 2019-20 year. All other CEs on the AR schedule will not receive a PR during the 2019-20 school year.

Compliance Plan

TDA will be posting a Compliance Plan for each school year so the CEs understand the direction at the state level.


When Is My Review?

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2019-2020 Administrative Review List: A list of Contracting Entities scheduled to receive an Administrative Review during School Year 2019-2020. All Contracting Entities will receive an Announcement letter for the Administrative Review (AR) and the Procurement Audit (PA). Those letters are e-mailed to the Superintendent, Business Manager, and Child Nutrition Director listed in TX-UNPS. CEs will receive one announcement letter for both the AR and the PA. If you are scheduled for an AR, you will also have a PA in the same year. This 19-20 AR list is tentative and subject to change.

Administrative Review Three-Year Cycle: A list of Contracting Entities and the year of their regularly scheduled Administrative Review for the 2017-2019 review cycle is currently under review. Please note that some Contracting Entities may have additional reviews during a three-year cycle that are not reflected in this list.

Important Note: Administrative Review schedules are subject to change.

Procurement Review  Minimize 
  1. Procurement Review TX-UNPS Training - This training can be utilized to explain the process of how to fill out the procurement table in TX-UNPS.
  2. PR Process Flowchart for CE - This workflow details how the CE can expect their procurement review process to flow.
  3. PR Process Flowchart - This workflow details the expectations of the procurement reviewer.
TDA and USDA Guidance  Minimize 
TDA provides additional information on the administrative review process in the Administrator's Reference Manual, Section 23, Administrative Review, which is available at SquareMeals.org/Publications/Handbooks.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes its Administrative Review Guidance Manual, administrative review categories and questions, and fiscal action worksheets which are available on the USDA website. 
Administrative Review Reports  Minimize 
TDA makes three types of administrative review reports available to the public -- Summary Results for Reviews, Detailed Results for Reviews with Findings and Seamless Summer Option Summary Results for Reviews with Findings. The following reports are for administrative reviews in School Year 2018-2019.

Summary Results for 2019-2020 Reviews: A list of Contracting Entities that have received their administrative review reports from TDA. The summary also provides the following information about the Contracting Entity:

  • Types of school nutrition programs operated 
  • Special provision programs utilized
  • Whether or not there were findings


Detailed Results for 2019-2020 Reviews with Findings: A list of contracting entities that had findings as a result of their administrative review from TDA along with the following additional information: 

  • List of findings
  • Type of findings
  • Corresponding administrative review question


Seamless Summer Option Summary Results for Review with Findings: A list of contracting entities that had findings as a result of their administrative review from TDA along with the following additional information:

  • List of findings
  • Type of findings
  • Corresponding administrative review question

Forms and Information

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Administrative Review Areas: An outline of the different areas of the School Nutrition Programs reviewed during an Administrative Review.

Contracting Entity Checklists: CEs can download these templates to determine which documents will need to be provided during the off-site review. Specific due dates have not been included in the templates. At the beginning of the off-site review, the compliance monitor will provide each CE with the checklist that includes specific due dates for the documents the CE should upload into TX-UNPS. 

Resource Management Summary: CEs will complete the Resource Management Summary during the Off-site review.  Compliance Monitors will evaluate responses to determine risk factor levels.  Risk factors include the size of the CE, previous audit and review results, the Non-Profit School Food Service Account, Paid Lunch Equity, and Non-program Foods.  If this information is not provided at least 4 weeks prior to the On-site review or if the information provided indicates high risk, a more comprehensive review will be conducted during the On-site review.

Food Service Management Company List:  A list of documents to be available and reviewed during the Administrative Review for CEs that contract with a Food Service Management Company to manage the School Nutrition Programs.

TX-UNPS Administrative Review User Guide: A detailed step-by-step user guide to help CEs navigate the Compliance Module in TX-UNPS while completing the Off-site portion of the Administrative Review.

Administrative Review Guidance Fiscal Action Chart

Administrative Review Tips from the Monitor:  A list of tips, learned during the first year of conducting the new review process, to help CEs prepare for an Administrative Review.

The Administrative Review - Webinar  Minimize 
The Reinvented Administrative Review Process
This webinar provides an overview of the new administrative review process. Information provided includes how the review has changed, what the review covers, general timelines, required documentation and specific processes for before, during and after the on-site review. (Revised June 18, 2015)
The Reinvented Administrative Review Process PDF

Assistance available in English and Spanish. Please call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) for help.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.



Texas Department of Agriculture

Commissioner Sid Miller