Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Announces School Meals Availability and Eligibility Guidelines
As public schools prepare to reopen across Florida, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has released guidance on the eligibility for and availability of school meals.
When schools are open, meals are provided by schools operating under the National School Lunch Program.
In Florida, this $1.3 billion program is administered through FDACS. Last year, Florida schools provided over 332 million meals to 2.9 million children; including 286 million free and reduced-price meals to over 2 million children through the National School Lunch Program.
When schools are closed, such as during the summer and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summer Food Service Program and the Seamless Summer Option, together known as Summer BreakSpot, operate at schools, non-profits, and other community-based organizations.
From March through June, Summer BreakSpot sponsors served over 59 million meals at 3,775 sites statewide.
Schools operating Summer BreakSpot sites typically pause service between programs to prepare their facilities and train staff for the upcoming school year.
When school districts pause meal service operations, other community-based Summer BreakSpot sites generally continue to serve meals until the day before school begins.
FDACS and its Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness have been coordinating with school districts and non-profits to ensure this occurs. Summer BreakSpot locations can be found by calling 2-1-1, texting “FOODFL” to 877-877, or visiting SummerBreakspot.FreshFromFlorida.com.
Per federal regulations and USDA guidance, virtual schools do not meet the definition of schools under the National School Lunch Program. Students who remain enrolled in traditional brick-and-mortar schools that participate in the NSLP, but will be learning remotely, remain eligible for school meals. However, students enrolled full-time in virtual schools (not attached to a brick-and-mortar school) are not eligible for school meals.
Students who are dual enrolled in virtual school and a brick-and-mortar school, and on school grounds for academic purposes during meal service, are eligible to participate in school meals.
According to Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, Nikki Fried, “Ensuring that Florida’s children can access healthy meals has been one of our top priorities, not only throughout COVID-19, but during the summer months between school years.” She went on to note, “federal regulations determine eligibility for school meals, but with potentially millions of students learning remotely this fall, we are working closely with school districts to ensure as many kids as possible have access to proper nutrition.”
“We are grateful for the regulatory flexibilities that have been extended by the US Department of Agriculture that will allow schools to operate school meal programs in a manner that accommodates the safe and continued service of meals in tandem with the varied reopening strategies across the state. We will continue to collaborate with USDA and our school nutrition professionals to ensure they have every resource necessary to continue feeding Florida’s schoolchildren, ” said Lakeisha Hood, Director of the FDAC Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness.
School administrators or school district personnel with questions about NSLP eligibility should contact the FDACS Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness at InfoFNW@FDACS.gov or 850.617.7400.
Parents or families with questions about school meal eligibility should contact their school or local school district. Those with questions about federal eligibility guidelines should contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service at 703.305.2060.
