National School Breakfast Week: March 8-12
Spread the word about all of the benefits of breakfast! Whether students are learning in person or remote, a healthy breakfast is the best way to start their day. Check out resources and ways to promote National School Breakfast Week from SNA.
Rob's Latest and Greatest
March officially marks the one year anniversary for school closures and flexibilities to provide grab and go meals. For most, if not all of us, it certainly feels like a year (or more) has passed. The Office for Food and Nutrition Programs cannot express our gratitude enough and we continue to stand by to provide continued support.
On Tuesday, February 23rd Commissioner Riley recommended school districts create plans for a Spring return to in person learning especially for the elementary grades. This recommendation is based on updated Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance. Please refer to the February 23rd On the Desktop message to Superintendents: Initial Information on Expanding In-Person Learning This Spring.
The Office for Food and Nutrition Programs would like to hear from you regarding best practices for safe in person meal service utilizing COVID-19 precautions. Please send helpful recommendations through Ask DESE Anything so we can share them in future newsletters and with DESE’s COVID-19 operations team.
This week you will receive an email announcing the opening of the School Year 2021-2022 USDA Foods Ordering Surveys on the Security Portal. The surveys will allow you to allocate next year’s entitlement to Brown Box and DoD as well as select pounds for processing/diversion. Be on the lookout for this important email so you can select food for next year’s menus.
Even though meal service remains quite different than usual please consider to pause and celebrate National School Breakfast Week March 8-12. Resources from the School Nutrition Association to help celebrate are included in this month’s newsletter.
Lastly, please send us photos of your staff and video statements from parents of students to help us celebrate School Lunch Hero Day in May. We want to help spread the word statewide of all the incredible, important work you have been doing this past year.
Happy Spring and have a great month!
Robert Leshin
Child Nutrition Emergency Operational Costs Reimbursement Program
The federal COVID-19 relief bill passed in December 2020 authorized the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to initiate a Child Nutrition Emergency Operational Costs Reimbursement Program to provide child nutrition programs, including school districts in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), with additional reimbursements for emergency operating costs related to COVID-19. The program will consist of a one time payment for school districts currently providing school meals as well as a one time payment for those not currently operating, but have provided assurance that they will return to the NSLP once the federal public health emergency has ended. More information with be forthcoming. DESE expects payments to be made in July 2021.
Virtual Gateway and Supplemental Security Income Update
The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) recently announced that certain children with disabilities who qualify for Medicaid because they receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can also be directly certified for free and reduced-price meals through USDA’s NSLP. This will help to connect children with disabilities who are living with a relative caregiver to additional nutrition support.
The children who qualify will also automatically meet one of the eligibility criteria to receive P-EBT benefits. DTA and DESE are working on a process to ensure these households receive P-EBT benefits. MassHealth and DESE are setting up changes to the Virtual Gateway system so children who qualify are directly certified for free or reduced-price meals through this system going forward. The Data Collection team at DESE is working with the SIMS contacts at each district and have identified which students qualify. Further guidance will be issued soon to ensure qualified students are receiving proper P-EBT benefits.
The Fantastic Four-Part CEP Webinar Series
With many schools participating in the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) this year, the thought of transitioning back to standard counting and claiming procedures may feel uncertain. If eligible, a way to continue serving meals at no cost to your students is to apply to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
While we await future guidance from USDA regarding the implementation of CEP for SY 21-22, please register for the four-part CEP webinar series that will review everything from what it means to participate in CEP, to all of the documentation needed to apply. There has been a slight change in the sessions given the increased need for maintaining a Master Roster for the CEP application process. Sessions are as follows:
Tuesday, March 2nd: Introduction to CEP and Financial Considerations
Tuesday, March 9th: Participation in CEP - Applying, Renewing and Maintaining with Grouping Strategies
Tuesday, March 16th: CEP Maintaining the Master Roster
Tuesday, March 23rd: Completing the April Report
SNAP Outreach Partner Reimbursement Project
The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is the Massachusetts state agency responsible for administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In federal fiscal year (FFY) 2011, DTA entered into an interdepartmental service agreement with the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) to administer the SNAP Outreach Partner Reimbursement Project. If your district is serving families that are eligible for SNAP, you may be interested in partnering with DTA.
Through this project, your district may qualify for federal reimbursement when you provide approved outreach services to SNAP participants. The SNAP Outreach Partner Reimbursement Project Goals include:
Expanding access to SNAP benefits for new applicants
Reimbursing partners for SNAP outreach and application assistance activities
Increasing the quality of applications submitted to DTA
Why become a SNAP Outreach Partner?
When a qualified organization becomes a contracted SNAP Outreach Partner, they are eligible for up to 50 percent federal reimbursement for allowable outreach costs. DTA gives Outreach Partners access to:
The DTA Connect Provider Portal, providing access to complete SNAP applications with clients
SNAP Community Liaisons: DTA staff who work directly with outreach partners to support work with SNAP clients.
Support networks through connection with other organizations doing similar activities
How does an organization become a SNAP Outreach Partner?
To learn more, check out an information session hosted by UMass and DTA. The sessions are designed to walk you through the federal rules, funding requirements, allowable activities, and the enrollment process. To obtain information session details:
Join school nutrition professionals from across the Commonwealth on May 6 and 7 at the Healthy Kids, Healthy Programs Virtual Summit. Together, let’s celebrate the ingenuity, resilience, and dedication of Massachusetts school nutrition professionals who work tirelessly to fuel children and communities.
Summit Agenda
May 6, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - for directors and managers
Cultivating Your Dream Team with Stefanie Giannini, MA, SNS, Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Marquardt School District 15, Glendale Heights, Illinois, and Founder of IVATI
Marketing Tips Every School Nutrition Professional Can Use - Starting NOW! with Liz Roesel, SEA Level Social
Looking Back to Look Forward, Rob’s Latest and Greatest LIVE!
May 7, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - for directors, managers, and staff
NEW for 2021! Invite your school nutrition team to join the summit on May 7. Sessions are designed to appeal to and inspire your entire school nutrition team and recognize their hard work with the School Lunch Hero Day celebration finale!
Resiliency in Times of Change with Paul Krismer, Certified Executive Coach and Best-Selling Author of Whole Person Happiness
Serving Fun, Easy, and Fresh Buddha Bowlswith JSI Chef Tracy
This event is sponsored by the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and The John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition.
Directors Ask, DESE Answers
Q: For the 742R Verification Summary Report:
We should use our actual enrollment and actual number of schools, not what may have populated from the October Claim?
We should not count any additional remote sites that may have been opened under SSO? Cordially, Checking in on Verification
A: Yes to all of the above. Q: What is the time frame from the time meals are distributed by bus to volunteers, to the time they are handed out? Thanks, Thinking about Meal Times
A: Due to COVID-19, Child Nutrition Response #66 FNS extends the waiver of the requirements at 7 CFR 210.10(l) and 220.8(l) that set meal time parameters for SSO. This extension remains in place until June 30, 2021.
Q: Why are other nutrition programs in different states allowed to distribute 7 days’ worth of snacks? Not school days only?
Sincerely, Stumped by Snacks
A: As determined by the USDA, NSLP Afterschool snacks can only be offered on a school day. NSLP Afterschool snacks are not allowed to be claimed on weekends, holidays or school vacations. For more information on snacks, please review the recent memo.
Q: Our district operates as an "open site". We do curbside, 5-day, meal distribution in addition to hybrid in-person (2 days/week). We will be bringing back our kindergarten students full time in March followed by first and second grade in the weeks after that. What does this do to our curbside grab and go meal distribution? Do we have to become a closed site?
My best, March School Meal Madness
A: If you still have a partial-hybrid learning model, and feel it is appropriate to distribute meals curbside, grab and go on remote learning days; it would be up to the discretion of the district to make this decision.
Q: Can DESE look into bulk meal service instead of individual meals?
Warmly, Wondering about Bulk Meals
A: In October, our department released guidance which covered how to properly distribute bulk meals. When distributing bulk meals, keep in mind:
Refrigeration and storage capacity of the families
Menus and instructions with portion sizes need to be provided
A variety of foods should be offered over the week
Vegetable subgroups are still required
For SSO: Through an “electable” option of the Meal Pattern Waiver, school districts may submit a request to serve milk in bulk.
For both SFSP and SSO: Bulk meals are reimbursable meals provided to cover meal service over the course of multiple days. Bulk meals may be provided for more than one meal service at the same time, but not more than 2 meals or snacks per day, in any combination except lunch and supper.
For both SFSP and SSO: It is important to document the days of distribution in the site application as open sites will be shared with Project Bread’s meal site finder.
