Last updated on July 24th, 2023
In May, when the New York State Education Department Office of Child Nutrition hosted a webinar reviewing how schools and districts could take advantage of a 2023-2024 Executive Budget enhancement to help the state move closer to realizing universal free meals at all K-12 public and charter schools, there were three open questions:
- Will the USDA approve the state’s request for an extension to file CEP applications? The answer is yes! The deadline is now August 31 as noted on the top of the NYS Education Department Office of Child Nutrition’s webpage. If your district/school(s) has/have not applied yet, your School Food Authority (SFA) can determine if a school, group of schools or entire district are eligible using this list . If eligible, apply as soon as possible so the application can be processed before the start of the school year and there is time to fulfill the requirement to notify families about participation (templates will be provided with the approval email you receive). If you need assistance determining eligibility, contact your Child Nutrition Program Representative at 518-473-8781 or by email.
- REMEMBER: Receiving an approval on an application means a district/school(s) will be able to take advantage of the Community Eligibility Provision State Subsidy (Section 925), as amended by the 2023-2024 NYS Executive Budget. Starting with the upcoming school year, the state will increase reimbursements for CEP meals so they are free. This additional funding is only available to subsidize federal rate of reimbursement through CEP. It is not available to buildings where all meals are already fully reimbursed through CEP or for meals at buildings that do not participate in CEP.
- Do we know reimbursement rates for the 2023-2024 National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast program? Yes, on July 7th the rates were published and take effect from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. According to the School Nutrition Association (SNA), the base reimbursement rate for each lunch and breakfast increased 8.27%. At the same time, though, Keep Kids Fed Act (KKFA) funding expired, resulting in 37 cents less per paid category school lunch and 8 cents less for free and reduced price lunch. The SNA is encouraging school administrators to urge legislators to extend KKFA funding via the SNA’s Action Network.
- Are there any updates on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service’s proposed rule to lower the minimum identified student percent (ISP) participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) from 40% to 25%? Nope, no news yet and while many are hoping a final rule and guidance will be issued before the start of the 2023-2024 school year, there are no guarantees. If approved, more schools will have the option to elect CEP and, when financially viable, offer all students school meals at no cost. As of now, it remains a proposal with no timeline. If approved, and a final rule and guidance published, the state will communicate with School Food Authorities (SFAs).
This story is to be continued. In the meantime, according to NYCFoodpolicy.org, some New York municipalities, like New York City, Albany, Rochester and Yonkers already offer universal free school meals. Some states – like California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont– have made universal free meals for K-12 public school and charter school students permanent. And more than half of the remaining states currently without universal school meals are in various stages of moving the proposition forward in the coming year. So, stay tuned.
While you and your team are moving ahead with CEP applications and/or awaiting word on what’s next, you can count on RBT CPAs to free you up by focusing on your accounting, tax, audit, and advisory needs. Give us a call and speak with our professionals to learn what we can do for you.
RBT CPAs is proud to say all of our work is prepared in the U.S.A. – we never offshore. As a result, you get peace of mind that your school district’s financial and confidential information is handled by full-time, local staff who have met our high standards for quality, ethics, and professionalism.
NOTE! While every effort has been made to ensure the integrity of the information contained herein, the situation is fluid. It is always a good idea to consult legal counsel before making any changes.