USDA School Meals Waiver FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the Summer Food Service Program and state waivers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparison of Programs

There have been questions regarding how long a SAU can serve meals for SY 19-20.  The waivers have been confusing, so below is a Q&A that may help answer some of your questions.

My SAU is ending the school year on June 5th, however the administration would like the school nutrition program to continue serving meals to students until June 30th.  Is this allowable?

Yes, under the current waivers, a SAU may continue serving meals until June 30th.  On July 1st, the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program fiscal year ends and summer food programs begin.  If the SAU would like to continue serving meals to students after June 30th, a summer food application must be submitted into the Office of Nutrition Programs and Services by June 15, 2020.  There are three options for summer food programs, therefore a comparison chart is attached that summarizes all three.  Please contact the Office of Nutrition Programs and Services if the SAU decides to enter a summer food program or if additional guidance is needed.

My SAU is ending the school year on June 5th, however the administration would like food service to stop its school year meal service to students, and possibly enter a summer feeding program even though we do not have normally area eligible sites.  Should we enter a summer food program prior to June 30th?

If the SAU does not have any normally area eligible sites, we do not suggest entering a summer food program prior to June 30th because the area eligibility waiver has not been approved by USDA yet.  We suggest that the SAU continue the current school meal service program until June 30th even if school has ended for the year.  If the decision is made to serve meals for the summer (after June 30th), the SAU must complete an application for the summer program.   To obtain further guidance on summer food program options, please see the attached comparison chart.  For application information please contact the Office of Nutrition Programs and Services for guidance.

My SAU is already serving from normally area eligible sites only for the school year COVID 19 emergency period.  Can we enter a summer feeding program prior to June 30th?

Yes, the SAU may enter a summer food program prior to June 30th because it does not need the area eligibility waiver to continue into the summer food program. However, the appropriate application for the summer food program must be submitted to the DOE by June 15 and approved by the DOE before the summer program can begin.

If my SAU does not have any area eligible sites, is there a summer food program that we could enter to serve meals to students during the summer months, after June 30th?

Yes, the SAU may enter the Extended School Year Food Service program.  This will mean the SAU could serve meals as free, reduced and paid as they normally would during the regular school year.  The application for the National School Lunch Program must be completed in order to claim for meals and our office is working to roll over the application for completion.   Please refer to the attached comparison chart for a summary of the extended school year program.

We keep hearing that June 30th is the start of the summer feeding programs.  Why is that?

The June 30th date is the date the area eligibility waiver stops and the day the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program fiscal year ends.  Thus, July 1st is the start of summer feeding programs.

The SAU just signed an attestation for SSO.  Does this mean we are already set to serve meals after June 30th?

No, the attestation was required by USDA for the time period March 18, 2020 – June 30, 2020.  All SAUs must reapply for the summer food program in order to serve and claim for meals for summer 2020.