| DATE: | November 16, 2015 | |
| POLICY MEMO: | SP 10 - 2016 | |
| SUBJECT: | Paid Lunch Price Report: New Submission Date and Reporting Template | |
| TO: | Regional Directors Special Nutrition Programs All Regions |
State Directors Child Nutrition Programs All States |
Section 12 (p) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and 7 CFR 210.14 (e)(7) require school food authorities (SFAs) to report their paid reimbursable lunch prices to the state agency for publication by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Previous guidance on the submission of paid prices through the School Food Authority Paid Lunch Report (FNS-828) and determination of the most frequently charged price was provided to SFAs and state agencies in memorandum SP 18-2012, issued Feb. 24, 2012; and SP 28-2012, issued April 20, 2012.
In order to facilitate more timely and accurate reporting, FNS is announcing a permanent change to the reporting due date and providing a reporting template for data submission.
The FNS-828 annual due date will permanently change from the last operating day of November to the last operating day of January. This change is effective immediately.
- Consolidated FNS-828 reports for SY 2015-2016 will be due from state agencies on Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. State agencies should send the consolidated reports to the mailbox: paidlunchpricereport@fns.usda.gov.
State agencies are encouraged to use the “FNS-828 Reporting Template” (Attachment A) to submit the consolidated FNS-828 data to FNS. This Excel template, which is formatted similarly to the FNS-828 Form (Attachment B), will allow for uniform data collection and facilitate national data consolidation. An “SFA ID” field is included on the template to provide a unique identifier that will assist with data analysis.
For SY 2015-16, state agencies have the option to submit the “FNS-828 Reporting Template” in substitution for the FNS-828 Form. By SY 2016-17, it is expected that the FNS-828 will be transitioned in to the Food Program Reporting System (FPRS) using this reporting template. Further guidance will be provided as that transition is completed.
Please note that the reporting requirements have not changed from previous guidance. Below are notable points to remember when completing the FNS-828:
- “N/A” is to be reported only when the SFA does not have any students in that school category (elementary, middle/junior high, or high school). “N/A” should not be reported in all three school categories as it will mean that the SFA no longer participates in NSLP and needs to be removed from the report.
- All cells should be filled in for every SFA that is reported; there should not be any blank cells. Non-pricing SFAs should report “$0.00” in all applicable school categories.
- If RCCIs don't have a typical grade structure and all students are charged the same amount, then enter the charged amount in all three school categories.
- If RCCIs don't have a typical grade structure and have more than one lunch price, then list the most commonly charged price for each school category.
State agencies are reminded to distribute this memorandum and attachments to their program operators. SFAs should contact their state agencies with any questions and state agencies should direct questions to their appropriate FNS regional office.
Sarah E. Smith-Holmes
Director
Program Monitoring and Operational Support Division
Child Nutrition Programs