March 2022 Monthly Newsletter 

A Special School Breakfast Week Message from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller celebrates School Breakfast Week with a video message for school staff, students, and parents. Don’t forget to share pictures of what your school is doing to celebrate at #TXSBW.. 

Registration for the NSLP Fall Farm Fresh Challenge is now open. Pledge your participation today and begin planning procurement of local Texas items!

IMPORTANT – Join Us for SFSP Live!

Action Required: Important Summer Change (New Texting Number 304-304)

As of February 1, 2022, all summer meal materials (printed and digital) must be recycled. The texting line participants contact has changed. All resources on www.SummerFood.org/OutreachTools have been updated. Summer sponsors and sites will be given the opportunity to order new summer materials very soon and schools should currently be receiving summer materials to assist them with meeting the federal requirement.

Summer Materials are on the Way to Assist with School’s Meeting the USDA Requirement

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is sending posters and information cards to every school food authority (SFA) in Texas to assist them in fulfilling a National School Lunch Program requirement to notify students and their families about the availability of these summer meals. The posters must be displayed on campus and the information cards must be distributed to each student immediately upon the shipment’s arrival.. 

Summer Meals Events Webinar March 11, 2022 1:00-2:00pm!

Register today to attend the Summer Meals Kick Off and Spike Events Planning Webinar on March 11, 2022 1:00-2:00pm. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions and hear from panelists from schools, community organizations, and state partners who have been successful in planning summer kickoff and spike events. Click here to register! We can't wait to see you there!

Tips for Maintaining Integrity in Meals Served Outside the Cafeteria

The Food and Nutrition Service’s Office of Program Integrity (OPI) is excited to announce the release of a tip sheet to assist school meals program operators in strengthening integrity during meal services held in locations other than the cafeteria. The tip sheet provides a list of suggested practices that program operators may adopt to assist with proper meal counting and claiming when meals are served in alternative locations.

January and February claims are due. Claim deadline for January is April 1st. Don't delay, submit claims timely!

Reminder of the User Access Manager Transition

TDA is transitioning to the User Access Manager for all entities and will no longer be accepting the FND-101 form soon. 

Updated Income Eligibility Guidelines for 2022-2023

USDA has announced the annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. These guidelines are used by schools, institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program.

RELEASE: New School Data Report for 2021-2022

TDA must, on an annual basis, publish a list of schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in which at least one-half of the children enrolled are certified eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Thank you to schools that submitted entries for TDA’s You Art What You Eat Contest. The submission deadline was March 4, 2021. TDA will accept no submissions after the deadline..