Beginning this summer, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering a new opportunity for public schools to feed students after the regular school year ends. Schools can continue to offer the Child Nutrition Unit (CNU), Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Summer Meals Program serving breakfast and lunch with summer school or education sessions, or choose the new ADE SEAMLESS Summer Program that is designed to reach students in needy areas. The ADE Summer Meals Program, as operated in the past, requires collection of meal money based on eligibility status of students and can be operated by any public school regardless of the percentage of free and reduced students in the school.
The new ADE SEAMLESS Summer Program sites must have 50% or more Free and Reduced Eligibles. All students participating at an ADE SEAMLESS Summer Program will eat at no charge, regardless of income status, thus all meals at the site will be claimed at the free reimbursement rate. In this program the district will serve one or two meals per student at no charge, including breakfast, lunch, snack, or supper. However, the District will not claim both lunch and supper meals for a student at the same site on the same day. These sites do not require an educational program, but summer school, remedial or regular education can be part of the ADE SEAMLESS Summer Program. For reimbursement rates see Comparison Chart Attachment #3.
To participate in the ADE SEAMLESS Summer Feeding Program, the school food authority/school district will be required to:
1. Submit a Waiver/Addendum (See Attachment #1) signed by the Superintendent and District Child Nutrition Director. Be sure to review site definitions in order to indicate the type of site that will be operated on the Schedule A. Definitions are located in Item 2 of Attachment #1 - Waiver/Addendum.
2. Submit a Schedule A Seamless Summer Program Addendum (See Attachment #2) to the regular school district School Food Authority Agreement and Policy Statement for Child Nutrition Programs.
3. Must receive written approval from CNU, ADE and USDA BEFORE meals can be served or program can begin.
4. Must mark monthly claim for reimbursement "S" for Summer Program Claim.
To assist school district child nutrition directors in determining whether to participate in the ADE Summer Program, ADE SEAMLESS Summer Program or the Department of Human Services (DHS) Summer Program, see Attachment #3, Summer Program Comparison Chart. USDA will approve all school district Seamless Summer Program sites to prevent a duplication of summer feeding efforts within communities or geographic areas in a state. Preference will be given to summer feeding programs that have operated previously and plan to operate the summer of 2002.
DEADLINES:
Arkansas Department of Education:
The deadline for the ADE SEAMLESS Summer Program WAIVER and SCHEDULE A is April 30, 2002. If the district's Agreement for School Year 2001-02 indicated the regular ADE Summer Program with established dates there is no need to submit a notice for that program. To change the status of summer program previously reported on the agreement, please include the site on the Schedule A for the SEAMLESS Summer Program.
Arkansas Department of Human Services:
Betsy Gore, Director of Special Nutrition Services, DHS, has extended the deadline for the DHS Summer Feeding Program Applications from April 10, 2002 until April 30, 2002 in an effort to give schools the opportunity to review all opportunities in providing meals to students this summer.
Should there be any questions about ADE summer meal programs, please contact the assigned CNU, ADE, Area Specialist for the school district or Barbara Smith at (501) 324-9502. For the district area specialist click on the county where the district is located at this hyperlink - http://cnn.k12.ar.us/newpage34.htm. A Video Conference on the Seamless Summer Food Service Program is scheduled for April 17th. Registration information will be ready with the next few days.
Should there be any questions regarding the DHS Summer Feeding Program please contact Harley Fancher at (870) 743-2385 or Betsy Gore at (501) 682-8869.