National School Lunch Program

Kansas school sponsors that participate in the lunch program receive reimbursement from USDA for each meal served to eligible students. In return, they must serve lunches that meet federal requirements, and offer reduced price and free lunches to eligible students.

To meet USDA nutrition requirements, local sponsors choose the menus and food preparation methods used. Regulations establish a standard for school lunches to provide one-third (1/3) of the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories. Regulations also require schools to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat.  

Sponsors may choose one of five menu planning systems for school lunch and school breakfast programs:

•  Enhanced Food Based Menu Planning, also known as Food Based Menus

•  Nutrient Standard Menu Planning (NSMP), also known as NuMenus

•  Assisted NSMP, also known as Assisted NuMenus

•  Traditional Meal Pattern

•  Alternate Menu Planning Systems

For more information about menus and the menu planning systems, click on Guidance, Food Service Facts and then refer to Chapters 16, 17 and 18.

Any student enrolled in a participating school and in the building at the time of lunch service, may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Students from households with incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for free lunches. Those between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced price lunches, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents. Students from households with incomes over 185 percent of the poverty level pay full price, though their lunches are still subsidized with federal and state funds. Local sponsors set their own prices for full price lunches.

Public schools and non-profit private schools of high school grade or under are eligible to participate in the NSLP. Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs) are also eligible. In Kansas nearly 1,700 schools and RCCIs participate in the NSLP.

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School Breakfast Program

Over 63,000 children in more than 1,400 Kansas schools start each school day with a nutritious school breakfast. The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is a federal program that provides states with cash assistance for non-profit breakfast programs in schools and RCCIs. Participating schools and institutions must serve breakfasts that meet federal nutrition standards and must provide reduced price and free breakfasts to eligible children. The same Income Eligibility Guidelines apply for the SBP as were described in the previous section for the National School Lunch Program. Schools that serve a high percentage of lunches to students eligible for reduced price or free meals may be eligible for higher reimbursements through the Severe Need Breakfast reimbursement option. Refer to Chapter 25 for additional information.

Public schools in Kansas are required to offer the SBP in each public school building under the jurisdiction of the school district's board of education. Kansas law allows public school sponsors to apply for SBP waivers for individual attendance centers, if the attendance center has 35% or less of its enrolled students eligible for reduced price or free meals during March of the preceding year. The KSDE appoints a committee to evaluate the waiver applications, determine the validity of the reason(s) for which a waiver is requested, and recommend to the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) whether to grant or deny the waiver request. The KSBE evaluates the committee's recommendations and makes the final decision to approve or deny the request.

Teachers have reported students are more alert and perform better in class if they eat breakfast. Studies support that conclusion. Recognizing the importance of a nutritious breakfast, USDA has actively promoted the SBP, and at the same time has made a commitment to improve the nutritional quality of all school meals. Regulations require that all school breakfasts meet the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In addition, breakfasts must provide one-fourth (1/4) of the daily recommended levels for protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and calories.

For more information about the School Breakfast Program, click on Guidance, Food Service Facts, Chapter 25.

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After School Care Snack Program

The After School Care Snack Program (ASCSP) was first implemented in 1999 as a result of the 1998 reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. This program provides funds for the service of nutritious snacks for children enrolled in eligible after school care programs. To qualify for the reimbursement, the snacks must meet nutritional standards and must be served to students enrolled in after school programs that include an education or enrichment component. For more information, click on Guidance, Food Service Facts, Chapter 26.

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The SMP provides milk to children attending schools and childcare institutions who do not have the opportunity to participate in other federal Child Nutrition Programs. The program reimburses schools for the milk they serve. The SMP is also available to children who attend “split session” classes (half day) and do not have breakfast or lunch offered to them. For more information, click on Guidance, Food Service Facts, Chapter 28.

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