FILE:  EE

 

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

 

 

The School Board of the Lafayette Parish School System recognizes that schools should play a vital role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition.  The Lafayette Parish School Board believes these efforts involve adults serving as role models, and community members being informed of the policies that improve the long-term health and wellbeing of students.  Child Nutrition will be efficiently organized, administered, and operated on a sound nutritional, educational, and financial basis by qualified personnel.

 

GUIDELINES

 

  1. Operations - The School Board shall administer a Food and Nutrition Program in accordance with federal and state standards and requirements.  The School Board, as the recognized Child Nutrition Program authority for the school district, shall annually approve the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, USDA Commodity Programs, and any other related programs.  The approved agreement shall meet all specifications mandated by the Louisiana Department of Education's Division of Nutrition Assistance.

  2. Sanitation - Guidelines of the Louisiana Sanitary Code shall be strictly followed in the preparation, serving, and cleaning of all Child Nutrition Programs and facilities.  A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Plan (HACCP) with Standard Operating Procedures is utilized in each school kitchen.  Continuing education for Food Safety and Sanitation is provided regularly for all employees of Child Nutrition Services.

  3. Nutrition Standards - The Lafayette Parish School Board shall administer a School Nutrition Program that implements nutrition standards as mandated by federal (USDA/ United States Department of Agriculture) and state (Louisiana Department of Education, Division of Nutrition Assistance) agencies.  Nutrition/ nutrient standards are the required level of calories and nutrients needed to meet the nutritional needs of a specific grade/ age group.  Food and beverages served or sold at school will meet the nutrition requirements and standards set forth by the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 and the USDA Smart Snacks in Schools Law (La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:197.1).

 

SCHOOL MEALS

 

Students attending the Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) will have access to a nutritious breakfast and lunch.  Snacks are provided for after school academic programs.

 

  1. All schools in the Lafayette Parish School System will participate in available Federal (USDA) School Meal Programs including the School Breakfast Program (SBP), National School Lunch Program (NSLP), After School Care Snack Program, and At-Risk After School Meals Program.  Participation in Summer Food Service, Breakfast in the Classroom, and other such Federal or Grant Programs is optional.

  2. According to nutrition standards, school meal patterns are planned by student grade level groups:  PreK-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

  3. Meals brought into the cafeteria must comply with LPSS Policy EE, Child Nutrition Program Management, regarding foods and beverages.  Commercial fast foods, carbonated beverages, concentrated sweets, and foods that are not in compliance with established nutrition standards shall not be allowed in the cafeteria dining area.

  4. Schools should not establish policies, class schedules, bus schedules, or other barriers that directly or indirectly restrict meal access.

  5. Schools shall provide sufficient serving areas to ensure access to school meals within the allotted time. USDA recommends that all schools schedule a minimum of 30 minutes per lunch period.  Because breakfast is optional, the meal period is scheduled one-half hour prior to bell time; meal access and time of consumption is dependent of time of student arrival on campus.

  6. School meals may not be removed from the cafeteria or school campus unless there is an established take-out meal service such as a satellite meal service site, an on-site bag lunch (on campus),  or a planned student field trip (off campus).  Accurate meal counts, nutrition requirements, and sanitation guidelines are required for any type of meal service.

  7. School meals purchased by LPSS faculty or employees must be consumed at the school site.  Take-out or “to go” meal service is not available in schools.

  8. No supplies or foods, including leftovers, shall be removed from the Child Nutrition Services department by any employee of the school system except for the purpose of transferring the items to another school location.

 

SPECIAL EVENTS

 

All LPSS schools shall comply with federal and state restrictions on the operation of concessions, vending, food and beverage sales, including fundraisers as outlined in USDA Smart Snacks in Schools.  The intent of this law is to prohibit the sale or service of foods of minimal nutritive value.

 

  1. The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is the Louisiana agency authorized to approve food and beverage items that may be sold and/ or served in schools.

  2. The sale of food and beverages that are not associated with the NSLP and SBP must meet the nutritional standards and approved times of sale established in Smart Snacks in Schools.

  3. Food and beverages that are offered, sold, or used for fundraising activities held on school grounds for student consumption may not be sold during meal periods.  The Pennington Biomedical Research Center Vending List is the approved source of food and beverages.

  4. Special events should not interfere with the preparation and service of the school breakfast, lunch, and snack programs.

  5. Off-site Field Trip meals and on-site Bag Lunch requests require the same nutrition standards as the daily lunch menu.  The Bag Lunch/ Field Trip Guidelines Form must be submitted at least 4 weeks prior to the activity in order to accommodate menu changes.

  6. School functions involving the use of the school cafeteria or kitchen shall be arranged through the Cafeteria Manager and Principal, and then submitted to the Director of Child Nutrition Services for approval.  Depending on the type of activity and/ or usage, the Cafeteria Manager or designee must be present for the activity.

  1. Any organization unrelated to the school system that requests use of the school kitchen or cafeteria must complete the LPSS Application for Use of Facilities by an Outside Organization.  The request and payment of appropriate fees must be submitted at least two weeks in advance of the event.

 

MEAL BENEFITS

 

Lafayette Parish School System participates in two separate federal Meal Benefit Programs that provide financial assistance for students:

 

  1. Traditional Meal Benefits - The multi-child application is provided to each student at the beginning of each school year and is accepted all school year.  Parents or guardians are responsible for meal payments prior to the approval of free or reduced price meal benefits.  Meal payment status from the prior school year remains effective for the first thirty (30) operating days of the new school year.

  2. Community Eligibility Provision - This program provides free school meals to all students enrolled at school sites located in high poverty areas of the school district, determined by the number of students identified as receiving SNAP or TANF benefits or that are categorically eligible such as Foster, Homeless, or Migrant students.  A meal benefit application is not required for students at these school sites.

  3. Release of Meal Benefit Eligibility - Information regarding the Meal Benefit Eligibility for a student is confidential.  Under the National School Lunch Act (NSLA) the release of a child’s eligibility status is permitted to persons directly connected with and who need to know a child’s free and reduced price meal eligibility status in order to carry out an activity specifically authorized by the NSLA.  LPSS Administrators may request student meal status information from the Child Nutrition Services Meal Benefits Verifying Official.  The Release of Meal Benefit Eligibility Form requires the signature of the Administrator requesting the information.

 

MEAL PAYMENTS

 

Students not eligible for free meals though the Traditional Meal Benefit Application process must pay for meals at the prices established for full and reduced price student meals.  All meals served to students and adults must be paid daily or in advance.  Cash, check, or on-line meal payments are all acceptable forms of payment.

 

Adopted prior to 1975 Revised:  March 7, 1984
Revised:  August 15, 1975 Revised:  November 18, 1998
Revised:  October 1, 1980 Revised:  July 20, 2011
Revised:  April 1, 1981 Revised:  November 4, 2015
Revised:  August 4, 1982 Revised:  September 5, 2018

 

 

Ref:    42 USC 1751 et seq. (School Lunch Programs)

42 USC 1771 et seq. (Child Nutrition)

7 CFR 210 (National School Lunch Program)

7 CFR 220 (School Breakfast Program)

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:82, 17:191, 17:192, 17:192.1, 17:195, 17:196, 17:197.1, 17:198, 17:199, 39:2101, 40:4

Louisiana Sanitary Code, La. Dept. of Health and Hospitals

Board minutes, 8-15-75, 10-1-80, 4-1-81, 8-4-82, 3-7-84, 11-18-98, 7-20-11, 11-4-15, 9-5-18

 

Lafayette Parish School Board