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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

Office of P-20 Education Policy
Child Nutrition Program Administration
89 Washington Avenue, Room 375 EBA, Albany, NY 12234
Phone: (518) 473-8781 Fax: (518) 473-0018
To: 
School Food Service Directors/Managers
From: 
Child Nutrition Program Administration
Date: 
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Subject: 
Paid Lunch Equity: Guidance for School Year 2022-23
**Updated information regarding the PLE Waiver and the use of school meal service funds can be found here: http://www.cn.nysed.gov/content/student-meal-prices-and-school-food-service-funds.  This memo includes the following: "USDA has now provided guidance that the election of this waiver includes no repayment to the non-profit food service account should SFAs decide to fund paid lunches during the 2022-2023 school year."**
 
In preparation for a return to standard Child Nutrition operations in school year (SY) 2022-23, schools providing free, reduced price and paid meals should use the price last charged students, for many this will be SY 2019-20 prices, as the basis for SY 2022-23 Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) calculation, should the School Food Authority (SFA) decide to increase paid meal prices.

The PLE Waiver provides SFAs with the flexibility to not raise paid lunch prices in SY 2022-23. This waiver provides all SFAs, regardless of a positive or negative balance in the non-profit school food service account, the flexibility to price paid lunches at a level that best meets the needs of its student population. This includes decreasing paid lunch prices from previous levels. SFAs that decrease paid lunch prices may use non-federal sources or revenue from the sale of a la carte foods to support the decrease.

SFAs should carefully review budgets before adjusting paid lunch prices in SY 2022-23.  Some considerations include:
  • Return to National School Lunch Program reimbursement rates 
  • Return to reimbursement based on student eligibility (f/r/p)
  • Increased food costs
  • Potential decrease in participation as meals are no longer at no charge to all
  • Potential accrual to non-profit school food service account of student unpaid meal debt
Meal quality must not decrease as a result of lower paid lunch prices.

As a reminder, the PLE requirement applies to school lunch paid prices only.

Attachments

PLE Tool

PLE Waiver Instructions

SFAs electing to use the PLE Waiver please follow the link to the Waiver Instruction Memo 

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

  1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
  2. Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
  3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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