Federal and State Updates to the School Nutrition Programs

1. Federal and State Updates to the School Nutrition Programs Presented to SNA of MA Fall Conference Presented by Rob Leshin, MPA Acting Director, ESE, Nutrition, Health & Safety October 28, 2015

2. Overview • Program Renewals and Documentation • Administrative Reviews/ Year 3 of 1st 3-Year Cycle • Resource Management SY15-16 Requirements • Procurement NEW • Other NSLP Updates (Smart Snacks, DC/DV, Special Provisions) • Community Eligibility Program (CEP) and Low Income Metric • USDA Foods SY15-16 • Professional Standards • Available and Upcoming Trainings • School Breakfast Challenge • Resources • Participation Trends

3. Program Renewal Applications • Annual Renewal needed to be completed by September 30, 2015. THERE ARE SOME STILL NOT SUBMITTED!!!!! • Could hold up future claims • Will not receive December offer sheet if not in by November 1, 2015 • Authorized Signatures: Needs to be accurate • Compliance Packet: The Food Safety Inspection Report was due on October 3rd. 

4. Administrative Reviews (ARs) • SY15-16 AR schedule posted online under “NHS Headlines” • Year 3: 200 reviews this year • 6 AR trainings already took place • New this year: Professional Standards • Missed training or need additional technical assistance email Ebonique Faria, Review Coordinator: efaria@doe.mass.edu

5. Administrative Review Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

6. AR Initial Steps Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

7. AR Concluding Steps • Corrective Action Plans will be done through ESE’s Security Portal • Review cannot be closed until all Corrective Action Items have been resolved • Fiscal action tied to review findings • Correspondence will be to food service director, business manager and superintendent

8. Resource Management • Financial Management System • As defined by state agency (ESE) • Reconciliation Process with business manager • Financial reports • Local Cash Management Procedures • Cost Control • Cash management protocols (SNA chapter trainings) • Indirect Costs • Non Program Foods- pricing • Supervision costs • Bad debt • Paid Lunch Equity Tool Completed Annually

9. Paid Lunch Equity • Weighted Average Price for this year (SY15-16) needs to be greater than or equal to $2.70 • If your average is below you need to increase your paid lunch price or contribute allowable non federal funds to the school lunch account.  Take into consideration that the PLE requirement increases annually (roughly 5 cents/year).  • Refer to the SY15-16 USDA Paid Lunch Equity Memorandums and Tools located in the Document Reference Library in the Security Portal

10. Financial Reporting • Please remember to upload your financial documents through the “Finance Packet” menu in the Security Portal.  Please refer to August 2014 ESE Memo • Balance Sheet (as of 6/30/15) was due July 31, 2015 • Q1 YTD Profit & Loss (through 9/30/2015) due October 31, 2015 • Q2 YTD Profit & Loss (through 12/31/2015) due January 31, 2016 • Q3 YTD Profit & Loss (through 3/31/2016) due April 30, 2016  • Q4 YTD Profit & Loss (through 6/30/2016) due July 31, 2016 • Balance Sheet (as of 6/30/16) due July 31, 2016 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

11. Payment summaries • Payment information for monthly claims is in new location • Payment information can now be found in the “Payment Details” tab on the Security Portal: Home > School Lunch and Breakfast > Claims > Payment Details Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

12. NEW! Procurement • National focus on procurement policies • Training will be the focus of SY15-16 (Spring) • Procurement reviews are scheduled to begin in SY16-17 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

13. Procurement for Nutrition Programs • Why More Emphasis? • Because of the strong belief that the procurement process should be open to all capable contractors who want to do business with the Federal Government and • If the “playing field” is level, vendor participation is encouraged • The cost of products and services will be lower in price • Better quality products and services will result Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

14. Procurement • Procurement is a process, not a one-time event Planning Drafting Specifications Advertising the Procurement Awardinga Contract Managingthe Contract Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

15. How to Get Started with Local Foods Purchasing • Determine if you are able to purchase directly from a farm • If you cannot purchase directly from a farm, ask your distributor what local products they can provide • Have detailed information about your operation, including product volumes and delivery requirements • Work with the Massachusetts Farm to School Project to connect with a farm and start buying local! Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

16. Smart Snacks-Competitive Foods Resources • ESE and JSI’s A-List – provides a database of foods in compliance with state and federal competitive food regulations http://www.johnstalkerinstitute.org/alist/ • DPH “At-a-Glance” document comparing state and federal regulations: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/mass-in-motion/school-nutrition-glance.pdf Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

17. Six Cent Certification • Must maintain compliance with meal pattern • JSI’s MA Menu Planning Project can be used • 4 week menu cycle for elementary, middle and HS • http://www.johnstalkerinstitute.org/mmpp/

18. Direct Certification • All districts have to conduct by electronic means • Virtual Gateway • URF • Resources and Aids • SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, Foster Child • Minimum of 3 times per year • Partial Matches • ESENUTVG@doe.mass.edu

19. Income Verification • Process must be completed by November 15 annually • Use Virtual Gateway for Direct Verification • Accurate Verification Summary Report Due in January • Verification for cause • Questionable applications • District Employees and verification

20. Special Provisions • Provision 2 • State Universal Breakfast • Community Eligibility Provision • 40% of students directly certified eligible • ‘Identified’ students as of April 1 • 55-58% is approximate number for break even • Multiplier factor of 1.3-1.6 • Offer breakfast and lunch at no charge • District wide, group or school

21. Massachusetts Participation in CEP • Massachusetts joined USDA pilot in 2013-14 and Boston public schools served as the pilot district • Starting in 2014-15, the program was available to all districts Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

22. Measuring Poverty in District Enrollment • Poverty data used in funding formulas and accountability analyses (Head count for Chapter 70) • Traditional measure – eligibility for free or reduced price lunch applications • Information no longer available for schools participating in USDA Community Eligibility Program Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

23. What ESE is doing in response… • Using Direct Certification data for measuring low income for Chapter 70, Title 1, E-Rate etc. funding • On-going statistical analyses and discussions with stakeholders to minimize transition impacts • Monitoring other states’ responses Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

24. USDA Foods • Entitlement Value • Ordering • Tracking dollars in ESE Security Portal • Processing Enhancement Task Force • Evaluate system and propose changes • USDA Foods Contacts at ESE by Topic: • DoD Fresh: Contact Rick Finnigan rfinnigan@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-6486 if you need help with orders.

25. USDA Foods Contact by Topic • Processed Product at state warehouses: Check your ticket for accuracy before scheduling your delivery! If it does not match your order, contact Belinda Wilson bwilson@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-6478 for resolution before product leaves the warehouse! • Brown Box Products and your Offer Sheet: Contact Ahmed Bilimoria abilimoria@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-6506 if you have questions on products or the amount offered on your offer sheet.

26. Professional Standards • State Child Nutrition Director • Local School Nutrition Director • School Nutrition Manager • Other School Nutrition Staff • All personnel will be required to have annual training in reimbursable meal identification and accuracy • Training Logs • Now a part of Administrative Review SY15-16

27. Resources for Professional Standards • Summary by position: www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/cn/profstandards_flyer.pdf • Please keep these standards in mind as you hire new staff and plan staff training • Tracking tool (in development) • Professional Standards Bi-Fold Brochure • ESE/JSI trainings Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

28. www.makingitcount.info Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

29. Making It Count • USDA Meal Patterns • Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks • Special Dietary Needs • Access and Accountability • Benefit Issuance • Production Records (Coming soon!) • Incorporate into standardized recipes • Inventory management • Forecasting • More on-site activities and assigning continuing education points coming soon!

30. JSI Certificate of Excellence • Goal is to increase the knowledge and skills of directors and senior management in school nutrition programs • Highly acclaimed program • Leading the way to provide intensive certificate program to meet minimum education requirements Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

31. JS JSI Certificate of Excellence • State recognized certificate to meet hiring standards for FSDs • Now accepting applications for Spring 2016 semester starting in January of 2016 • 5 courses over 5 semesters mostly online with 1 to 3 Saturday classes • Accepting students with our without a bachelors degree • Credits count towards a BA at FSU Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

32. JSI Certificate of Excellence • NUTR 616 Nutrition and Child Nutrition Programs • NUTR 620 Computer Applications in School Food Services • NUTR 618 Management of Child Nutrition Programs • NUTR 617 Food Service Systems in Child Nutrition Programs • NUTR 619 Educational Theory and Applications for School Nutrition Professionals Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

33. 2015 Nuts and Bolts of SN Programs • Ongoing in person and online trainings offered by ESE • 11/19/15 USDA Foods/DoD Fresh (in person) • 12/3/15 Community Outreach and Engagement (online) • 1/7/16 Snack Programs (online) • 2/10/16 Special Dietary Needs (online) • 3/16/16 Production Records/standardized recipes/CN labels (in person) • 4/2/16 Professional Standards (online) Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

34. JSI and ESE • Coming inMay 24-25, 2016! • Healthy Kids, HealthyPrograms 2-day SummitFour Points by Sheratonin Norwood Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

35. Massachusetts School Breakfast Challenge • The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) and the MSBC partners challenged Massachusetts School Districts to increase their school breakfast participation by 35% • 99 School Districts increased their District School Breakfast ADP by 35% from October 2012 to 2014 • 196 individual schools served at least 20% of their students breakfast AND increased their School Breakfast ADP by 35% from October 2012 to 2014 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

37. Online Resources • John Stalker Institute: www.johnstalkerinstitute.org • Department of Elementary & Secondary Education • Security Portal Document Reference Library • ESE’s Making it Count: www.makingitcount.info • ESE’s Child Nutrition Outreach Program: www.meals4kids.org • US Department of Agriculture Resource Website: www.fns.usda.gov/healthierschoolday/tools-schools • Institute of Child Nutrition Formerly (NFSMI): www.theicn.org

38. NSLP Participation Trends Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

39. Thank you! Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education