Waivers released for school meal program flexibilities
Today, Tuesday, April 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a series of waivers that allow flexibilities to school meal programs for the 2021-22 school year.
Seamless Summer Option (SSO): Schools can operate the SSO during the 2021-22 school year at any school, regardless of its location. This allows School Food Authorities to provide meals that meet the school breakfast and lunch meal patterns while claiming all reimbursable meals served under the applicable Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) rate. This eliminates the need to determine each student’s eligibility status and collect meal payments.
The following waivers apply to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and the SSO:
Non-Congregate Meals: allows meals to be served and eaten outside of group settings.
Meal Service Times: allows service outside of standard times and allows multiple meals to be served at one time.
Parent/Guardian Pick Up: allows a parent or guardian to pick up meals to take home to children.
Meal Pattern Flexibility: allows for flexibility in meeting the meal pattern requirements in specific situations.
Offer versus Serve Flexibility: waives the offer versus serve requirement for meals served to high school students.
Area Eligibility for Afterschool Programs: allows schools, regardless of their location, to claim all afterschool snacks at the free rate.
Waiver of Onsite Monitoring: allows monitoring to be conducted offsite.
Unlike this school year, schools and community organizations will not have the option to operate the SFSP once the new school year begins. School Food Authorities will have the option to operate the SSO or can choose to operate the NSLP and SBP in School Year 2021-22.
CDE School Nutrition will share more information as updates become available.
