Breaking News • It's back to school time - check out information and resources for the return to class here • RIDE, PPSD, Families Reach Proposed Settlement on Preschool Special Education Federal Class Action Complaint - Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit
National School Lunch Program In Rhode Island, the National School Lunch Program provides nutritious, low-cost or free lunches to over 72,000 children daily. Schools that take part in the lunch program get cash subsidies and donated foods from USDA. Participating program Sponsors include all public schools, state schools and charter schools, and some private schools, special needs citizen centers, and residential child care institutions. State law mandates that all public schools provide lunch through the National School Lunch Program. Children from families with income: Up to 130% of poverty level are eligible for free meals. Between 130 to 185% of poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals ($.40 or less). Over 185% of poverty pay a price determined by the school or institution for their subsidized meal. 69% of the lunches served in Rhode Island are served free or at the reduced price. For additional program information contact: Jennifer Goodwin, MS, RDjennifer.goodwin@ride.ri.gov 401-222-4269 Training & Resources September's upcoming webinars: Meal Benefit Eligibility Determinations and Professional Standards USDA Professional Standards for School Nutrition Staff USDA website Institute for Child Nutrition training resources Afterschool Snacks & At-Risk Meals (suppers) Comparison Athletics & At Risk Meals information The Institute for Child Nutrition has a wealth of training and technical assistance resources. It is supported by USDA. USDA's Team Nutrition is an initiative of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to support the Child Nutrition Programs through training and technical assistance for foodservice, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity. RIDE Hosted Webinars Unpaid Meals Policies *Note: Webinar begins after 1 minute and 40 seconds in to the video. Civil Rights for Sponsor Administration Meal Benefit Eligibility Determinations & Verification Process Non-Program Revenue in NSLP Wellness Policy Requirements NSLP Meal Patterns Nutrition Documentation and Record Keeping in NSLP Seamless Summer Option - Submitting a Claim for Reimbursement Webinar SSO Claiming - Power Point Slides Only Special Provisions Training Webinar Special Provisions Training - Slides August 2023 Training Slides: Tuesday, August 15th: SNP Eligibility Determinations and Verification Training SNP Meal Counting and Claiming Training SNP Reporting and Record Keeping Training SNP Self-Monitoring Training Wednesday, August 16th: FFVP Sponsor Training URI SNAP-Ed FFVP Resources SNP Meal Pattern and Documentation Training Wednesday, August 23rd: SNP General Procurement Training SNP FSMC Monitoring & Procurement Training Thursday, August 24th: RIHSC Wellness Policy Training SNP Professional Standards Training RI Recycling Project Farm to School Training Documents, Resources, & Links Library Welcome to the National School Lunch Program Documents, Resources and Helpful Links. This section includes RIDE issued documents, and additional resources, documents and links from a variety of sources related to this USDA Program. Meal Benefit and Eligibility Information With the transition back to traditional school meals operations for the 2022-2023 school year, this Toolkit has been developed to provide strategies to improve outreach and communication to families that may qualify for school meal benefits: School Meals Outreach Toolkit English 2023 - 2024 Meal Benefit Application Meal Benefit Application Instructions Information for Parents Spanish 2023 - 2024 Meal Benefit Application Meal Benefit Application Instructions Information for Parents Additional Meal Benefit Documents: English and Spanish Sharing Information with Medicaid/CHIP Sharing Information with Other Programs We Must Check Your Application Notice to Households of Approval/Denial of Benefits Notice of Direct Certification USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals USDA Reimbursement Rates 2022-2023 Professional Development Resources USDA Professional Standards for School Nutrition Staff website Institute for Child Nutrition training resources USDA Team Nutrition Resource Library Alliance for a Healthier Generation website New England Dairy & Food Council Supports and partners with RI schools to ensure that students have access to the healthy foods and physical activity they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. Check out: Fuel Up to Play 60 is the in-school nutrition & physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and National Football League Farm to School classroom education materials Promoting Breakfast in Your School Farm Fresh RI Farm to School - check out what Farm to School can offer your school! Community Eligibility Provision The new Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) makes it easier for all children in low-income communities have access to healthy meals at school. CEP allows schools in high poverty areas to offer nutritious meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to all students at no change while eliminating school meal applications. Contact Jennifer Goodwin for additional information on CEP in RI. The CEP Fact Sheet provides an overview of the Community Eligibility Program. View a recorded webinar on CEP. Here is the of listing of: 2023-2024 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2022-2023 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2021-2022 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2020-2021 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2019-2020 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2018-2019 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2017-2018 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2016-2017 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2015 2016 RI Schools Eligible for CEP 2014 2015 RI Schools Eligible for CEP For additional information, check the USDA CEP website and the Food Research and Action Center website. A CEP Reimbursement Estimator (calculator tool) allows schools that are considering the Community Eligibility Provision to calculate their estimated federal reimbursement they will receive. This will help assess the financial viability of their school meal program under CEP. Districts interested in participating in the CEP in 2021-2022 should complete the CEP SFA Participation Form, and the CEP Eligibility Worksheet. Districts/schools that have elected to participate in CEP for at least one site must notify households of children attending the CEP school(s) of CEP participation in the 2021-2022 school year. LEAs may use this Sample Household Letter to serve as the required notification. E-Rate guidance has been issued by both USDA and the Federal Communications Commission. It provides information on newly adopted rules for the E-rate program, including how school districts with CEP schools should calculate their discount rates beginning in School Year 2015 2016. US Department of Education has issued guidance on Title 1 Part A. and CEP. Verification Annual Verification Process VERIFICATION IS THE PROCESS OF CONFIRMING THE ELIGIBILITY FOR FREE AND REDUCED-PRICED MEALS UNDER THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM OR SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM. Verification in a required part of school meal program administration. Verification must be completed annually by November 15th.. The Verification Summary Report (FNS 742) is due to RIDE by December 15th. Regulations prohibit the oversampling of meal benefit applications for Verification. If your meal benefit eligibility process is decentralized (each school handles its own eligibility determination), here are specific instructions for the Consolidation of the Verification process and results. Below are links to resources to assist with the Verification process. USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals (July 2017) Annual RIDE Verification Memo Sample of FNS 742 Verification Collection Report Instructions for Completing the FNS 742 Verification Summary Report Verification Notification Letters that Sponsors Send to Selected Households - English Verification Notification Letters that Sponsors Send to Selected Households - Spanish Form D: Letter that household can send to employer Form E: Letter that household can send to SS or SSI Offices Form F: Letter that household can send to SNAP / RI Works Form G & H: Letter that Sponsor can send to SNAP/ RI Works Please contact Jennifer Goodwin at jennifer.goodwin@ride.ri.gov or 401-222-4269 if you have any questions about this important aspect of school meal program administration. Reimbursement Rates and Processing Claims The Reimbursement and Claims section provides information on USDA reimbursement rates, and RIDE's CNP Connect secure claims processing and management system. USDA Reimbursement Rates USDA reimbursement rates are updated on a yearly basis. USDA Reimbursement Rates 2023-2024: FY24 Reimbursement Rates USDA Donated Foods Program (Commodities) The USDA's Schools/Child Nutrition Programs support American agricultural producers by providing cash reimbursements for meals served in schools, but also by providing nutritious, USDA-purchased food to the following nutrition programs: National School Lunch Program; Child and Adult Care Food Program; and the Summer Food Service Program For additional information: Schools/Child Nutrition USDA Foods Programs Schools/CN Commodity Programs Policy and Regulations CNP Connect Claims & Management System CNP Connect includes a secure section for processing meal claims. For additional information on filing meal claims, go to the CNPConnect site. Procurement & Food Service Management Companies (FSMCs) Procurement in the Child Nutrition Programs Procurement is defined as a multistep process for obtaining goods and services at the lowest possible price. The steps in this process include planning, writing specifications, announcing/advertising the procurement, awarding a contract, and managing the contract. Procurement standards for the federally funded child nutrition programs (CNPs) are located in 2 CFR, sections 200.318–200.326 and 7 CFR, parts 210, 225, 226, and 250 (as applicable). USDA Procurement Guidance 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 7 CFR Part 250 USDA Management of Donated Foods 7 CFR Part 210 Procurement Requirements for the National School Lunch Program 7 CFR Part 215 Procurement Requirements for the School Breakfast Program 7 CFR Part 220 Procurement Requirements for the Special Milk Program USDA Contracting with Food Service management Companies: Guidance for School Food Authorities Guidance on Competitive Procurement Standards for Program Operators RIDE Procurement Guidance & Training School Nutrition Programs Procurement Overview (PDF) School Nutrition Programs Procurement Overview Training (Video) School Nutrition Programs Procurement Review Training (Video) Sample School Nutrition Programs Procurement Policy (Word Document) RIDE Pre-Approved Equipment List for the School Nutrition Programs Based on USDA guidance and Federal regulation, RIDE has required SFAs purchasing equipment that will be used to support the operations of the School Nutrition Programs (SNPs) and which will be funded in whole or in part by funds from the non-profit school foodservice account to obtain approval from RIDE prior to making any such purchases. Recognizing the administrative burden created by requiring pre-approval for routine equipment purchases in the SNPs, the USDA has granted State Agencies with an approved equipment list permission to allow SFAs to purchase approved items, following competitive Federal, State, or local procurement procedures, as applicable, without submitting a request to the State Agency for approval. The following procedure outlines the allowable use of RIDE’s pre-approved equipment list to streamline the approval process for equipment purchases to support the School Nutrition Programs. Equipment Purchases in the National School Lunch Program - Policy & Procedures (PDF) Food Service Management Company (FSMC) Procurement & Monitoring School Food Authorities (SFAs) that enter into a contract for the management of their food service programs must conduct performance management of the Food Service Management Company (FSMC) contract through periodic on-site monitoring of the contractual requirements, as per 7 CFR 210.16(a)(3). RIDE has broken down the contractual monitoring requirements into six (6) individual sections with additional instructions on how to measure compliance for each question; these monitoring forms and supporting training videos can be found below, along with a video designed to help SFAs determine which type of services (FSMC or vended meals) that they may want to solicit for. Note: the "FSMC Monitoring Form - Section 6" is specific to the FSMC procurement process and should be completed and submitted to RIDE as part of the formal FSMC procurement process prior to fully executing an agreement with the selected vendor. FSMC vs. Vended Meals Contracts (Video) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 1 - Menus & Service (DOC) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 1 Training (Video) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 2 - USDA Donated Foods (DOC) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 2 Training (Video) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 3 - Financial Accountability (DOC) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 3 Training (Video) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 4 - Sanitation & Training (DOC) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 4 Training (Video) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 5 - Other Contractual Requirements (DOC) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 5 Training (Video) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 6 - FSMC Procurement (DOC) FSMC Monitoring Form Section 6 Training (Video) Meal Pattern Requirements Here you will find information regarding the USDA meal pattern requirements: USDA Final Rule for Meal Pattern Vegetable Sub Groups The meal pattern requirements for infants and preschoolers who participate in the School Meal Programs has changed. The new requirements are in effect beginning October 1, 2017. However, USDA has issued a memo regarding flexibility when the preschoolers are co-mingled with the school age children during meal time. See below: SP 37-2017: Flexibility for Co-Mingled Preschool Meals: Questions and Answers This memorandum provides guidance on meals served to preschoolers when they are in the same service area at the same time as grade K-5 students, and it includes Questions and Answers. Additional Information about changes to the Child and Adult care food program can be found here. Guidance on reducing food waste with the use of "Share tables" and food donations. Sustainability in School Meals School Waste Recycling & Refuse Disposal The RI School Recycling Club estimates that over 27,777 pounds of food get wasted on a regular school day! RI lawmakers, advocates, and state agencies are working to help schools implement practices that will result in less waste and will ensure that any waste that is generated is appropriately recovered, shared, donated, and/or composted. In fact, RI General Law 16-111 sets specific standards for educational entities in RI, which include: Every three (3) years, every educational entity shall coordinate and cooperate with the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) for the purpose of conducting school waste audits All educational entities procuring a vendor to provide food services must collect assurances from prospective vendors that they are in compliance with all laws relative to recycling and composting, provided that food was is separated for diversion with the educational entity All educational entities procuring a vendor to provide food services must encourage within their procurement processes: use of a vendor that purchases ten percent (10%) of the required food service product from a RI-based food service company use of vendors who recycle organic-waste materials at an authorized composting facility, an anaerobic digestion facility, or by another authorized recycling method All educational entities procuring a vendor to provide food services must require the selected vendor to donate any unserved nonperishable or unspoiled food to local food banks or the Rhode Island Food Bank in accordance with the recommendations from the Rhode Island Department of Health "The Road to End Hunger" initiative In addition to these laws related to school waste recycling and refuse disposal, RI General Law 23-18.9-17 requires the following as of January 1, 2023: Each educational entity shall ensure that the organic-waste materials that are generated by the educational entity are recycled at an authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility or by another authorized recycling method if: The educational entity generates not less than thirty (30) tons per year of organic-waste material; and The educational entity is located not more than fifteen (15) miles from an authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility with available capacity to accept such material This means that most RI schools should be separating and diverting food waste but many don't know where to start. The RI Department of Education is working with partner agencies to develop resources to support schools in their sustainability efforts. We'll be adding resources to this page as they become available, but in the meantime here are some steps that you can take now: Estimate your school's food waste with the RI Schools Food Waste Estimator from the RI Recycling Club Download the Food Smart Toolkit from the RI Recycling Club to start the conversation about reducing food waste in your school community Work with your food service provider to implement a share table and/or food donation program in your school Build sorting stations and food waste diversion into your school meals programs budget. Use the Food Smart Schools Budget Estimate worksheet as a starting point and, remember: costs such as these, which are considered to be reasonable and necessary for the operation of your school food service program are allowable uses of your Federal reimbursements, including existing non-profit school lunch account balances and current operating budgets. Healthy Snacks & Beverages in Schools Healthy Snacks & Beverages USDA recently published practical, science-based nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages sold to children at school during the school day. As of July 1, 2014, these standards allow schools to offer healthier snack foods to children, while limiting less nutritious foods. Smart Snacks in Schools The new USDA Smart Snacks nutrition standards support better health for students and echoes the good work already taking place in schools in RI. Smart Snacks are also know as competitive foods because they "compete" with the nutritious school meals. Smart Snack standards apply when competitive food & beverage items are: Sold to students On the school campus (vending machines, school stores, a la carte lines, snack bars and sold through fund raisers) During the school day (midnight before, to 1 hour after the end of the official school day) Must meet the nutrition standards for competitive foods. In other words, children will be able to buy only foods that their parents would find generally acceptable. More guidance is found on the USDA Smart Snacks webpage. USDA is now closely aligned with the: RI Healthier Snacks and Beverages Law, RI Nutrition Requirements for Reimbursable and Competitive Foods/Beverages For guidance on aligning with both Federal Smart Snacks Nutrient Standards and RI State Nutrition Standards, this flyer from the RI Healthy Schools Coalition and RIDE combines both standards in a concise reference sheet. Fund Raising in Schools For alternate, healthy fundraising ideas, check out Healthy School Fundraising - Promoting a Healthy School Environment. Nutrition & Wellness Wellness and the National School Lunch Program Local wellness policies are an important tool for parents, schools and Sponsor in promoting student wellness, preventing and reducing childhood obesity, and providing assurance that school meal nutrition guidelines meet the minimum federal school meal standards. USDA requires that each local educational agency that participates in the National School Lunch Program or other federal Child Nutrition Programs establishes a local school wellness policy for all schools under its jurisdiction. Check out USDA Team Nutrition's School Nutrition Environment & Wellness Resources RIDE works closely with the RI Healthy School Coalition to provide technical assistance, resources, and guidance on the development and implementation of local wellness policies. Resources include: RI District Wellness Policies Video tutorial for Wellness Policy Implementation Checklists Wellness Policy Guidance Fund Raisers & Healthy Fundraising Ideas Administrative Review Summaries In accordance with current USDA requirements, below is the posting of administrative review findings by year for each district: Administrative Reviews FY23 Cumberland Public Schools East Providence Public Schools Exeter-West Greenwich Public Schools Excel Academy Meeting Street Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center Newport Public Schools New Shoreham Public Schools Nuestro Mundo Public Charter School Providence Preparatory Charter School Smithfield Public Schools The Groden Center YouthBuild Preparatory Academy Administrative Reviews FY20 Achievement First RI Blackstone Valley Prep Harmony Hill School Kingston Hill Academy Lincoln North Providence South Kingstown St. Pius V School The Learning Community Tiverton Warwick Administrative Reviews FY19 Bishop McVinney Charette Charter School Child and Family Services of Newport Community Preparatory School Cornerstone School Coventry Cranston DCYF (RI Training School) Eleanor Briggs School Family Service of Rhode Island Foster Foster Glocester Glocester Jammat Housing and Community Development Corp Little Compton Mt. Pleasant Academy Nowell Leadership Academy Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Paul Cuffee School Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College Scituate Sophia Academy Southside Elementary St. Mary's Home for Children St. Patrick Academy St. Rocco School St. Thomas Regional School The J. Arthur Trudeau Center The Providence Center The San Miguel School Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program Village Green West Bay Collaborative West Warwick Administrative Reviews FY18 Burrillville Community Solutions Devereux Massachusetts Middletown North Kingstown North Smithfield Rhode Island School for the Deaf Westerly Woonsocket Administrative Reviews FY17 Barrington Beacon Charter School Blackstone Academy Charter Blessed Sacrament School Bristol Warren Central Falls Chariho East Greenwich Highlander International Charter Schools Jamestown Johnston Lifespan Learning Solutions Narragansett Ocean Tides Portsmouth Pawtucket The Compass School Wm.M. Davies Jr.Career-Technical High School Program Data & Finance This section provides local and national data on the National School Lunch Program, and information about fiscal aspects of the Program. USDA Donated Food Entitlement The USDA's Schools/Child Nutrition Programs support American agricultural producers by providing cash reimbursements for meals served in schools, but also by providing nutritious, USDA-purchased food to the following nutrition programs: National School Lunch Program Child and Adult Care Food Program Summer Food Service Program For additional information: Schools/Child Nutrition USDA Foods Programs Schools/CN Commodity Programs Policy and Regulations Breakfast Participation The Annual RI Kids Count's Fact Book includes analysis of breakfast participation in the USDA School Breakfast Program. USDA Program Finance and Participation Data FNS Program Data