The updated school meal standards focus on four key areas:
- Whole Grains: Schools may continue to offer a variety of nutrient-rich whole grains with options for some enriched grains.
- Milk: Schools may continue to offer flavored and unflavored milk with new limits on added sugars.
- Added Sugars: Schools must limit added sugar in specific high-sugar products (cereals, yogurt, flavored milk) and comply with an overall weekly limit.
- Sodium: Schools must gradually phase in one reduction to the current sodium dietary specifications.
Program operators are not required to make any changes to their menus as a result of this rulemaking until school year 2025–2026 at the earliest.
Join Us for a Webinar
June’s School Meals Monthly webinar will review the Meal Pattern Final Rule and its impacts.
Please note: You only have to register once and you will receive updates and reminders for each webinar. Follow up emails with a copy of the slides are sent to everyone registered for the session, even if they did not attend. We do not post recordings to the CNS webpages.
Schools offering summer programs of academic, enrichment, or remedial services where 50% or more of the children enrolled in the school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch must operate a summer meal program that is open to the community (RCW 28A.235.160).
Local Education Agencies must operate open sites through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or Seamless Summer Option (SSO). The resources below can help you decide which option is best for your school or district:
Applications for SFSP and SSO are due by June 1, 2024. Reference the resources below for information on the application process:
LEAs must submit an exemption request to either extend the NSLP/SBP or not operate a summer meal program at summer school sites where at least 50% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. SFSP/SSO Exemption Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and must be approved in advance.
School Meal Programs Annual Training will be held August 1 at North Central High School in Spokane, WA and August 13 at Highline High School in Burien, WA.
Who Should Attend Annual Training?
This training is meant to enhance your knowledge about the School Meal Programs and allow time for you to connect to other School Meal Program operators around the state. Training is free to attend; however, participants must pay for meals, parking, and any overnight stays.
While there is an option to register more than one attendee with one account, you will not be able to register each person for different sessions. Due to this issue, we recommend each participant to register with their own account.
Please limit attendance to 3 people per organization to ensure all who are interested in attending may have the opportunity.
Registrants will receive a confirmation email with their selected sessions. Keep this email for your records!
Register for the SY 2024-25 School Meal Programs Annual Training by July 22!
Best Practice: Review the Annual Training Schedule to review session descriptions and class times before registering! Participants may receive up to 8 Professional Standards Credits.
OSPI is hosting annual training as multiple workshops to provide an opportunity to explore School Meal Program operations and hot topics in depth.
Basics of Operating the School Meal Programs | 8hr
This is a full-day session. Participants that register for this session must register for both Part 1 and 2 on the same day.
- Did you start working with the School Meal Programs in the last five years? This session is aimed at new Food Service Directors and Managers. We will focus on the basics of operating a successful school meal program, including meal pattern, menu planning, using your USDA Foods, and implementing an accurate point-of-service meal counting system.
Food Allergies in School Nutrition | 4hr
Food Allergies in School Nutrition is an in-depth training on managing food allergies in school nutrition programs hosted by the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN). This updated training contains information about the new 9th major allergen, sesame, and incorporates guidelines and regulations from the 2021 Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act and the FDA 2022 Food Code. School nutrition professionals who take this course will learn about food allergies, food intolerance, reading food labels, avoiding cross contact, accommodating students with food allergies, laws regarding food allergies, and educating the school community about food allergies.
Menus of Flavor: East and Southeast Asian Fusion | 4hr
- Menus of Flavor is a four-hour, instructor-led, hands-on training provided by the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) that focuses on global regions’ healthful and flavorful foods. This session will focus on the region of East & Southeast Asia. During each training, participants will recognize the benefits of scratch cooking, using the ingredients and flavors commonly found in the regional cuisine of focus. Participants will identify basic culinary skills and apply the skills during the hands-on culinary lab, preparing meals using regional recipes, further reinforcing the learning. After the training, participants will be able to recognize the benefits of scratch cooking, use global ingredients, and apply various culinary skills and competencies to their daily work.
Menus of Flavor: Latin American | 4hr
- Menus of Flavor is a four-hour, instructor-led, hands-on training provided by the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) that focuses on global regions’ healthful and flavorful foods. This session will focus on the Latin American region. During each training, participants will recognize the benefits of scratch cooking, using the ingredients and flavors commonly found in the regional cuisine of focus. Participants will identify basic culinary skills and apply the skills during the hands-on culinary lab, preparing meals using regional recipes, further reinforcing the learning. After the training, participants will be able to recognize the benefits of scratch cooking, use global ingredients, and apply various culinary skills and competencies to their daily work.
Planning Reimbursable School Meals for Menu Planners | 4hr
- Unlock the secrets to crafting a menu full of reimbursable school meals! Planning Reimbursable School Meals for Menu Planners is hosted by the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) and provides general concepts to help directors, menu planners, and school nutrition staff understand the general requirements for a reimbursable lunch and breakfast meal under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and National School Breakfast Program (SBP). This four-hour face-to-face training teaches operators how to plan reimbursable meals following the USDA meal patterns for breakfast and lunch.
Child and Adult Care Food Program Oversight* | 4hr
Do you operate the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) At-Risk Afterschool Care Program? Or, are you interested to learn more about this Program but you are not currently a Sponsor?
If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, this training is for you! The goal of this training is to cover CACFP At-Risk requirements, best practices and provide Program resources. All participants will receive an At-Risk Afterschool Care Program manual created by OSPI to set your Program up for success in SY 2024–25!
Topics covered in this training will include:
- At Risk eligibility
- Education and enrichment activities
- Staff training
- CACFP Meal pattern
- Offer vs serve
- Vended meals contracts
- Meal counts
- Site Monitoring and Oversight
*This training is required and will meet your CACFP annual training requirements if you operate CACFP At-Risk only.
A recording of this training will be posted in Canvas and available to view later if you are unable to attend in person. If you operate CACFP Early Childhood Education (ECE), additional training will be required.
Workshops will not be recorded and are only available in-person at Annual Training. Recorded trainings on program requirements, such as meal pattern, processing applications, and verification, are available on the School Meal Programs Canvas Course. Please note: You must have a Canvas Account to access these trainings.
Important Update: OSPI will be restructuring the School Meal Programs Canvas course into training tracks based off the meal service option that your LEA implements (CEP, HB 1238, or Standard Counting & Claiming)! The goal of the training tracks is to help LEAs identify the applicable trainings for their staff based off how they are operating the School Meal Programs. These training tracks will be available starting on August 1, 2024.
SY 2024–25 Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit Application Materials Available
OSPI is excited to share that the Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit Application will be launching for school year 2024–25. With the implementation of the new Summer EBT program, USDA updated their guidance on applications in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and Provision 2 schools. The Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit application merges the Free & Reduced-Price Meal Application and Family Income Survey and will be required to be distributed by ALL schools, including CEP and Provision 2, next school year.
The Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit application may qualify households for:
Summer EBT benefits (if enrolled in a NSLP/SBP school),
Reduced fees for other programs and activities, and/or
Help secure funding for the school district.
LEAs may not produce their own materials or alter the state prototype materials (except to include their district nondiscrimination statement) without approval from OSPI. For more information on the CNEEB Application and it’s requirements, please review the CNEEB Application FAQ.
Please note: You must identify on the meal application materials where households should return completed meal applications. Each year USDA receives meal applications from households in Washington state as households are mailing them to the Civil Rights Complaint address in Alexandria, Virginia.
Letter to Households—Choose the Letter to Household based on LEA type and program operations.
Public School Districts
Private Schools & Residential Child Care Institutions
Non-Pricing and Provision Programs (CEP, Provision 2, HB 1238)
Notice of Eligibility Determination Letters
Combined Approval/Denial of Benefits
Notice of Approval
Notice of Denial
Notice of Eligibility-Direct Certification
Notice of Eligibility-Direct Certification Medicaid
Web-based and Scanned Meal Application Materials
With the transition to the CNEEB Application, LEAs must ensure their web-based meal application systems meet requirements. A reference sheet is available highlighting the requirements for web-based and scanned meal applications. LEAs are responsible to ensure meal application materials meet all requirements.
Limited English Proficiency
LEAs must ensure students have access to school meals by meeting the language needs of their school district population. OSPI is in the process of translating the CNEEB Application and supporting materials into additional languages. These materials will be available in the coming weeks.
This memorandum provides guidance to Child Nutrition Program (CNP) operators regarding Sections 739, 747, 748, 769, and 770 of Division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 which:
Allows the substitution of vegetables, including starchy vegetables, for fruits without including vegetables from other subgroups in weekly menus under the School Breakfast Program (SBP) in SY 2024-25.
Prohibits funds from being used to procure raw or processed poultry and seafood products from the People’s Republic of China in Child Nutrition Programs through September 30, 2024.
Provides guidance related to pricing of paid lunches for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), during school year SY 2024-25.
Requires the USDA to allow the service of low-fat and fat-free flavored milk for grades K-12 in NSLP/SBP and for participants over age 6 in CACFP.
Maintains current sodium limits in NSLP/SBP through SY 2026-27 and prohibits the sodium limit from being more restrictive than the Target 2 sodium limit published in the 2012 Final Rule ‘Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.”
This memorandum provides initial implementation guidance on the Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Final Rule. The memorandum:
Includes an initial implementation chart,
Provides an overview of the provisions finalized in the rule,
Outlines which Child Nutrition Programs are impacted,
Details the implementation date for each provision.
SP 22-2024, CACFP 08-2024, SFSP 13-2024: Geographic Preference Expansion Related to the Final Rule titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
This memorandum provides a detailed explanation of the expanded geographic preference option, which allows program operators to:
Use local as a specification for local unprocessed agricultural products;
Use a defined scoring advantage for local unprocessed agricultural products;
Adopt a mix of both strategies.
Washington State is launching Summer EBT, “SUN Bucks”, a new grocery benefit program that provides families $120 for each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries when school is out. The new, permanent program is in addition to free meals that kids of all ages can get at summer meal sites in their communities. |
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will be required to upload student eligibility data to the Summer EBT Portal prior to the end of the school year.
Summer EBT Uploads
Student eligibility data must be uploaded to the Summer EBT portal prior to leaving for the summer. Important details:
Your school or district should have designated a Summer EBT contact person.
The Summer EBT Support team sent user access emails with credentials, links, and instructions on Monday, May 6. If your contact did not receive this information, please reach out to the Summer EBT Support Team.
Student Eligibility data should be pulled prior to any end of year changes made based on transfers or graduations at the end of SY 2023-24.
Example: Students who graduate at the end of SY 2023-24 should still be included in your upload.
Please direct families to the SUN Bucks website or to the call center at 1-833-543-3230.
For any issues with uploading, please email the Summer EBT Support inbox.
For questions about student eligibility, please email the School Meals inbox.
For more information on eligibility requirements for Summer EBT:
Registration is now open for two new learning opportunities offered through the FY23 Team Nutrition grant.
Join Child Nutrition Program peers from across Washington for action-focused training and collaboration offered through the FY23 Team Nutrition grant. Two pathways are available, Nutrition Education and Culturally Inclusive Meals & Menus.
We are excited to highlight the Nutrition Education pathway in this update:
Power Up Your Program with Nutrition Education! Strategies to engage students, spark connections, and boost program success.
- Nutrition education is a powerful tool to promote your program, help students try new foods, and build strong community connections. Explore food and nutrition education opportunities to increase participation and support program goals, including Farm to School, culturally inclusive meals, scratch cooking, reducing food waste, among others. The cafeteria is a classroom, fueling learning and bringing food to life for students.
Each pathway will include online training, peer-to-peer connections, and one-on-one support from the grant team to create successful on-the-ground local actions. We’ll start by identifying opportunities and teaming up with partners. From that, you will choose which actions to take and learn how to sustain and build on your efforts. Along the way, there will be opportunities for local, statewide, and national recognition of your efforts. This is a year-long journey with bite-sized action steps and support, all designed with your goals, needs, and schedules in mind.
Ready to join us? Complete the registration form to enroll.
Questions? Email Shannon Delaney, Project Coordinator, or Erica Lamson, Project Director.
USDA recently announces the recipients to the Supporting Community Agriculture and Local Education Systems (Project SCALES) and the Partnerships for Local Agriculture and Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) sub-grants. Project SCALES and PLANTS are two of the four cooperative agreements with the School Food System Transformation Challenge funded by the USDA’s Healthy Meal Incentives Initiative.
Project SCALES Recipients:
Congratulations Concrete School District!
Recognizing the juxtaposition of this agricultural bounty to the limited options available at the one local grocery store in town, Concrete School District is partnering with United General District 304 to connect students and families with locally grown, healthy food. The project will leverage existing partnerships with farmers and distributors in Skagit County, and establish new partnerships. Goals and activities include: increasing local food procurement; strengthening local purchasing relationships; increasing the number of local ingredients and scratch-made meals in the cafeteria; and providing ongoing communications and education to promote farm initiatives.
Congratulations Inchelium School District!
The Inchelium School District is situated on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, with a majority of students being Tribal members. The district will partner with the Northeast Washington Education Service District to provide students opportunities to celebrate their cultural heritage, and to incorporate traditional foods into school meals. To achieve this goal, they plan to: work with existing partners and establish new partnerships with a local farmer-owned food hub to improve the nutrition quality of their menu; develop a monthly food delivery program in collaboration with local growers; enhance their capacity to procure and make scratch-based meals; design a menu that reflects cultural traditions in consultation with tribal partners; and work with local authorities to allow game meat and culturally celebrated foods in meals.
Congratulations Northeast Washington ESD 101 and Valley School District!
Northeast Washington ESD 101, LINC Foods, Mission West Community Development Partners, Valley School District, and CasaCano Farms are working together to build upon existing efforts to increase scratch cooking in schools and strengthen relationships between local producers, food hubs, processors, and school districts in central and eastern Washington. Working with school districts to determine their needs, the project partners will collaborate to increase the availability of healthy value-added products from food manufacturers in the local food supply chain.
Bainbridge Island served up some delicious pumpkin seed pesto with ricotta cheese and Royal City asparagus to K-6 students! |