The USDA Food and Nutrition Service released SP 18-2025, Guidance on Fees for Electronic Payment Services in the School Meal Programs. Effective immediately, this memorandum rescinds SP 04-2025, Fees for Electronic Payment Services in the School Meal Programs, which was issued on November 1, 2024. The rescinded memo had previously issued a requirement to eliminate service fees for students using an online system to purchase reduced-price meals by School Year 2027-2028. While that requirement has been rescinded, this memo clarifies that any School Food Authority using a system charging additional service fees for purchased meals must also offer a free and accessible method for all families to add money to student meal accounts. SFAs must notify families of available payment options and any associated fees in ways that are easy to find and understand.

This memo also provides best practices for increasing the awareness of payment options and strategies for reducing or eliminating online fees. More information can be found here.

The 2025 Farm Fresh Challenge pledge opens August 13. The Farm Fresh Challenge gives NSLP and CACFP operators the chance to show their dedication to serving Texas-grown and produced foods to their students throughout the month of October. CEs who achieve set goals earn awards for serving Texas products, teaching students about Texas agriculture, and sharing their dedication on social media. Learn more about the Farm Fresh Challenge here. Pledge to participate in the 2025 Farm Fresh Challenge now!

The MyPlate Ambassadors program trains high school students to promote MyPlate education in Texas. Students can choose the MyPlate Influencer track and work on a nutrition change project in their school or community, or the MyPlate Educator track, where they teach younger students about MyPlate and healthy eating habits. Please encourage students who are interested in health, wellness, or community leadership to apply. To learn more, please visit SquareMeals.org. 

School Year 2025-2026 
Please be sure to attend the USDA Foods Food Distribution Program Sessions. Tentatively anticipated for the last week of September. More information coming soon. 

Processing Recipient Agencies – Check your tracking systems, K-12 and ProcessorLink. Please validate as Processors are loading program year (PY26) pounds into their respective tracking system.  

Make sure your team logs into WBSCM to ensure they maintain active status. Please check your user accounts in WBSCM to ensure that appropriate SFA staff are active, have the correct roles assigned, and that their email addresses are up to date. 

Requests for USDA Foods can be tracked using the WBSCM Requisition Status Report. Pricing fluctuations will continue until items reach "Purchased" status. 

Surplus direct delivery cases will be available throughout the program year. More information to be communicated soon. 

Gold Star Foods will utilize a new warehouse in Fort Worth for the upcoming school year. TDA has updated all school year (SY) 26 requisitions to reflect this change. 

If you opted into the DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program, this will be displayed on your WBSCM Entitlement/Bonus Summary report. Funds are loaded into FFAVORS. Unspent values in WBSCM cannot be moved to increase DoD Fresh program funds. Please remember to complete receipts in FFAVORS for each delivery within two business days of the delivery date. 

TDA monitors the monthly utilization of DoD funds in FFAVORS to ensure proper use of entitlements. To maximize your DoD entitlement, SFAs should spend, at minimum, 10% of their funds per month. SFAs who have not been utilizing funds may risk redistribution. 

Refer to the Resources page on www.squaremeals.org, Food Distribution Program for NSLP, for helpful information regarding ordering USDA Foods.  Round 2 Recap for direct delivery is posted on the Food Distribution for NSLP under the Resources Link 

For questions regarding USDA Foods, please contact your respective Education Service Center Child Nutrition representative(s) for guidance, training, and technical assistance in WBSCM..

Visit USDA for more information on the Final Rule and upcoming changes. Let us know what kind of resources would best support you in implementing these new meal standards – Click here! 

Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 14 from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (CDT)!

TANS Talk is an office hours session that will allow CEs to review TANS related updates. We are excited to share all of the new updates about this platform and answer any questions.

How to Participate in TANS Talk:
Use this TANS Talk Feedback Form to submit any TANS questions you would like to see reviewed during the call. Please note that the Feedback Form will close on Wednesday, August 20 at 5 p.m. (CDT) to give our team time to prepare for the meeting. Visit the TANS homepage and Resources page for access to past TANS Talks, updates, trainings, and more.

Check out the Food Buying Guide for new available food yields like pineapple tidbits, pineapple chunks, dried mango, dragon fruit, chopped romaine lettuce, and more! Addition yield data released are coming soon.

Question A24 in the NSLP/SBP Application in TX-UNPS asks if the CE's meal counting and claiming procedure has changed. If the CE answers "yes" to this question, the CE must complete an Attachment B in TX-UNPS, explaining their meal counting and claiming procedure. If the CE answers "no" to question A24, they do not have to complete the Attachment B in TX-UNPS. Additionally, any time the meal counting and claiming procedure changes, whether at the beginning, middle, or end of the school year, the CE must complete a new Attachment B.

CEs must submit their template school meal application, application instructions, and template eligibility notification letters in the Attachment B Upload module in TX-UNPS annually. The Attachment B Upload module opened on July 1, 2025, and closes on October 31, 2025. 

CEs that must complete the Attachment B Upload module are those that are:
• Operating standard counting and claiming and Universal Free (free, reduced-price and paid).
• Operating Provision 2 in the base year.
• CEP or Provision 2 (not in the base year) at some but not all schools.
• RCCI with day students.

CEs that do not complete the Attachment B Upload module are those that are:
• 100% CEP district-wide.
• 100% Provision 2 district-wide not in the base year.
• RCCIs without day students