School Nutrition & Operations
2024 Virginia Farm to School Celebrations
Article: 2024-37-396
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff
Contact: Bee Thorp, SNP LeadFarm to School Specialist, [email protected]or Sara Hazan, SNP Farm to School Specialist, [email protected]
The VDOE Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) invites and encourages school divisions and community sponsors to celebrate Virginia farm to school events in October, including:
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Virginia Farm to School Week (October 7-11, 2024): The Genral Assembly has designatedthe first full week in October as Virginia Farm to School Week. Program operators celebrate in various ways, including seasonal foods featured on school menus, poster contests, farm tours, Standards of Learning (SOL)-based lessons highlighting Virginia Harvest of the Monthcrops, and the Crunch Heard 'Round the Commonwealth.
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Crunch Heard 'Round the Commonwealth (October 10, 2024): Across the Commonwealth, Virginians will make noise for farm to school programs by biting into fresh, Virginia grown apples. To participateand receive the digital 2024 Crunch Toolkit and marketing materials, complete the Crunch Registration Form. The Toolkit containslesson plans with SOL for all ages/grade levels. Participants are encouraged to share their celebrations on social media using the hashtags #VACrunch, #VAFarmtoSchool, and #ElevateEducatorsVA,and tagging @VDOESCNP.
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National Farm to School Month: Throughout October, celebrate and build connections between school nutrition programs, local farms, school gardens, and nutrition and agriculture education.
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Virginia Farm to School and Directors' Conference(October 29-30, 2024) convenesschool and community nutrition program operators, producers, nonprofit organizations, and other farm to school stakeholders for program capacity building and networking. Visit the conference websiteto learn more.
Annual Pupil Ridership Count
Article: 2024-37-393
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Transportation
Contact:Kerry Miller, Director of Pupil Transportation, [email protected]
The annual Pupil Ridership Count is scheduled for the week of October 14, 2024. This information will be used when completing the Pupil Transportation Report for the 2024-2025 school year. This count should be conducted for five consecutive days that school is in session starting on Monday, October 14th. If your school division is closed anytime during this designated period, please use the following week to reach the five-day requirement.
During this week, school bus drivers count the number of pupils being transported by every yellow school bus each day. School bus drivers should conduct the count each morning and again each afternoon for every yellow school bus. At the end of the week, take the higher count of students from the morning or afternoon for each day of the week and calculate an average for the five days. Keep the ridership count separated by pre-K, non-public, regular, and exclusive ridership. Thank you for your division's efforts in obtaining this important data.
Annual Pupil Transportation Report
Article: 2024-37-389
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Transportation, Finance
Contact: Kerry Miller, Director of Pupil Transportation, [email protected]
The annual Pupil Transportation Report used in calculating pupil transportation funding through Standards of Quality Basic Aid will be open for data entry on September 30, 2024. The Pupil Transportation Report application is locatedinVDOE's Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal. This data is requiredper the Board of Education's Regulations Governing Pupil Transportation at8VAC20-70-235. Funding for Pupil Transportation.
Please note that your school division's Annual School Report Financial Section (ASRFIN) data must be submittedto VDOE before the Pupil Transportation Report can be completed. Pupil Transportation Reports should be submittedto VDOE via the SSWS portalby October 31, 2024.
Increased Equipment Expenditure Threshold
Article: 2024-37-380
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Child Care Center Operators
Contact: SNP Policy, [email protected]
Effective October 1, 2024, the per-item threshold for equipment will increase from $5,000 to $10,000. This means that pre-approval from the Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) will only be needed for a single piece of equipment that costs $10,000 or more and is not on the Virginia SCNP Approved Equipment List.
The increase in the per-item threshold for equipment is in recognition of inflation and other contributing factors. SFAs and community sponsors must obtain prior written approval using the Equipment Purchase Pre-Approval Request Form(found in SCNP Director's Memo #2024-2025-21, Attachment A)from VDOE-SCNP before purchasing a single piece of equipment that costs $10,000 or more and is not on the Virginia SCNP Approved Equipment List (found in SCNP Director's Memo #2024-2025-21, Attachment B). The Virginia SCNP Approved Equipment List includes items that have already been determined to be allowable; therefore, prior approval is not necessary. SFAs and community sponsors must purchase these items using proper federal, state, or local procurement procedures.
Note: Approval of the 2024 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grant does not count as prior written approval for items with a per unit cost of $10,000 or more and are not on the Virginia SCNP Approved Equipment List. An Equipment Purchase Pre-Approval Request Formwill be required.
Federal Program Monitoring of the School Nutrition Programs in 2024-2025
Article: 2024-37-379
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Nutrition Administrators
Contact: Andrea Nannery, School Nutrition Program Coordinator, [email protected]
The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) is required to conduct an administrative review of the federally funded nutrition programs in each participating school division. The VDOE-SCNP received approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct these comprehensive reviews on either a five-, three-, or two-year cycle, based on established criteria and a risk assessment.
The five-year Federal Program Administrative Review (FPAR) cycle and the school year (SY) 2024-2025 schedule of the school nutrition programs (SNP) are now available. The review cycles and SY 2024-2025 schedule are available in SCNP Director's Memo 2024-2025-23. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and At-Risk Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) review schedule for school divisions and community organizations will be forthcoming. SFSP and CACFP reviews are included in this memorandum only for school divisions on this year's FPAR schedule.
Updated Certification of New School Nutrition Program Administrator
Article: 2024-37-378
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: School Nutrition Programs,[email protected]
The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) published the updated Certification of New School Nutrition Program Administrator form, found in Attachment A of SCNP Director's Memo #2024-2025-24. This form is for division superintendents to certify that any newly hired school nutrition program (SNP) administrator meets the hiring standards as outlined in 7 CFR §210.30. Hiring criteria depends on the local education agency (LEA) enrollment size. The demands and complexity of SNPs increases as student enrollment increases. Refer to SCNP Director's Memo #2024-2025-24and attachment for a list of the minimum education hiring standards and training requirements.
Division superintendents must complete and submit the certification form, along with a copy of the newly hired administrator's resume, to the VDOE-SCNP State Director within 30 days of hiring a new director. The SNP administrator (director) is responsible for the operation of the SNP, must be the contact for all VDOE-SCNP communications, and must be designated as the SNP administrator in the SNPWeb system. The local Educational Registry Application administrator should assign appropriate permissions in SSWS to grant SNPWeb access. The VDOE-SCNP will monitor compliance with the professional standards as part of the administrative review process. Failure to follow this guidance could result in withholding of federal reimbursement.
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