Review changes to National School Lunch Program

New rules and deadlines related to the National School Lunch Program go into effect during the 2005-06 school year. A few of these changes are highlighted below:

• Food safety process – Local education agencies will be required to implement a food safety process called Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP).  While the law calls for July 1 implementation, it will actually occur during the 2005-06 school year.
• Health inspections – There will be two health inspections per year at each site that participates in the National School Lunch Program. These visits will be unannounced.
• Applications for free and reduced-price meals – Local agencies must use household applications (one per household). 

Several changes will occur in the verification process as well. These include:

• Verification is to be based on the number of applications on file as of Oct. 1 and is to be completed by Nov. 15. 
• Households selected for verification must be provided with a toll-free number, or other acceptable method at no cost to the selected household, to be able to contact the school.
• Local agency personnel are strongly encouraged to select applications based on a “focused sample.”
• Local agency personnel are allowed to “deselect” certain applications and replace them with other applications in certain instances.
• Local agency personnel are required to follow-up on applications when there is no response.

Changes that already have occurred include the following:

• Severe Need Breakfast no longer requires a separate operating statement.
• Children who are migrant, runaway or homeless are categorically eligible for free meals.
• Meal benefit levels are good for the whole year, once the determination is made at the beginning of the school year. If a family’s benefits would increase (such as going from paid to free or reduced), the family may reapply.
• All local agencies report results of verification.