National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

Apply to Operate the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program

If your entity would like to become a School Food Authority for the National School Lunch Program, please review our School Nutrition Programs New Applicant Guide for instructions on the forms required for submission. Upon review of the guidance forms, if you would like to apply, please use the following links: 

• School Food Authority Form for Prospective School Nutrition Program Operators
• Required Entity Organization Application Forms

Apply to Operate the USDA Foods and DoD Fresh Produce Program

The USDA Foods and the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Produce Programs provide nutritious foods for schools to use in their school nutrition programs. For information, please email [email protected].

Apply to Operate the Community Eligibility Provision

Thank you for your interest in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Applications for Program Year 2025/2026 CEP will open April 15th, 2025, and will close on June 30th, 2025. Please review the CEP Application Guide for all requirements before applying.

• CEP Application (Available April 15 - June 30)

Meal Pattern

• National School Lunch Program (3-day, 4-day, 5-day, 6-day, 7-day)
• School Breakfast Program (3-day, 4-day, 5-day, 6-day, 7-day)

Reviews Conducted by the State Agency

Administrative Reviews (ARs)

The Arizona Department of Education conducts administrative reviews (ARs) of all School Food Authorities (SFAs) operating the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast Program (SBP) at least once during each three-year review cycle. The AR consists of an off-site portion where the reviewer will request documents for the SFA to submit and an on-site portion where the reviewer will observe meal service at a select number of sites within the SFA. The reviewer will notify the SFA of the deadline for the off-site portion, the date of the on-site portion, and the sites that will be reviewed. The following programs will also be reviewed, if applicable: Afterschool Care Snack Program, At-Risk Afterschool Meals, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and Seamless Summer Option of the Summer Food Service Program.

The required Procurement Review will also be conducted alongside the NSLP AR.

Review List

• Administrative Review Schedule: School Year 2024-2025

Training

• What to Expect: National School Lunch Program Administrative Review

Appeal Procedures

• School Food Authority Appeal Procedure for the Administrative Review

Guidance Manuals

School Nutrition Program Manual

• Introduction to the School Nutrition Programs
• Application to the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program
• Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCI)
• Student Eligibility
• Verification
• Second Review of Applications
• Meal Pattern
• Smart Snacks in Schools (Competitive Foods)
• Accommodating Special Dietary Needs
• Meal Counting and Claiming
• Professional Standards for School Nutrition Personnel
• Civil Rights
• Food Safety
• Local Wellness Policy
• Resource Management
• Potable Water
• Outreach for School Breakfast
• Special Assistance Provisions
• Administrative Review
• Procurement
• Farm to School
• USDA Foods and Department of Defense Fresh Produce

USDA Foods in Schools Program: myFOODS Systems Manual

ADE Toolkits

• Breakfast in the Classroom Toolkit
• Grab ‘N’ Go Breakfast Toolkit
• Second Chance Breakfast Toolkit
• Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Education Toolkit

USDA Manuals and Handbooks

• The Eligibility Manual for School Meals, Revised July 2017 (changes highlighted)
• The 2017 Edition: Overcoming the Unpaid Meal Challenge: Proven Strategies from Our Nation’s Schools
• USDA's Accommodating Children with Disabilities in the School Meal Programs Guidance 
• Food Buying Guide
• Offer Versus Serve Manual, Effective beginning School Year 2015-2016
• Offering Meats and Meat Alternates at School Breakfast - Grades Kindergarten Through 12 (K-12) 
• Offering Smoothies as Part of Reimbursable School Meals - Grades Kindergarten Through 12 (K-12)
• Special Assistance: Provision 2 Guidance
• Community Eligibility Provisions: Planning and Implementation Guidance (Updated February 2024)
• Guide to Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs (Spanish)
• Food-Safe Schools Action Guide - Creating a Culture of Food Safety
• Guidance for School Food Authorities: Developing a School Food Safety Program Based on the Process Approach to HACCP Principles
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Handbook for Schools
• USDA Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs
• A Guide to Smart Snacks in Schools
• Menu Planner for School Meals

Financial Guidance

• Indirect Costs: Guidance for State Agencies & School Food Authorities
• The Uniform System of Financial Records for Arizona School Districts
• The Uniform System of Financial Records for Arizona Charter Schools
• State Match for Districts and Charters
• Institute of Child Nutrition Financial Management Information System - 2nd Edition
• Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs
• Coping with Unpaid Meal Charges
• Local Meal Charge Policy

Required State Reporting

• Administrative Reviews Summary
• CEP Annual Notification and Publication for School Year (SY) 2025-2026
• Verification Non-Response Rate Report (PDF) (Excel)

upLIFT

The upLIFT webpage is created for you, the school nutrition professional, to learn and get inspired in how and what you feed your students. We hope you share your successes and ideas to teach your colleagues of Arizona. Together, we can influence positive dietary behaviors in
students!

School Nutrition Programs Advisory Council (SNPAC)

The School Nutrition Programs Advisory Council (SNPAC) is comprised of dedicated school nutrition professionals who will advise ADE on issues that impact growth, compliance, and nutrition integrity in Arizona school nutrition programs. The SNPAC consists of 10 individuals representing 235 sites in Arizona. The council members were carefully selected to create a diverse and representative sample of LEAs in Arizona. The SNPAC will be meeting monthly in Program Year 2025. SFAs are encouraged to contact the SNPAC member who best represents their LEA with any questions or concerns they would like to bring to the council.

• Meet the SNPAC

Try it Local! Local Food for Schools

Try it Local is an opportunity for schools participating in NSLP to be reimbursed for minimally processed local and regional foods used in school meals. Try it Local is being temporarily funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) through the Arizona Department of Education's participation in the Local Food for School (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program. ADE will process Try it Local claims for all eligible purchases dated no earlier than July 1, 2023, on a first come, first serve basis up to August 30, 2025, or until all funds are obligated, whichever is first.

Final Try it Local Graphic

Participating SFAs must submit receipts/invoices for eligible food purchases to HNS in the ADEConnect application: CNP Supplemental Payments. Access to this application must be requested from the SFA's Entity Administrator(s). For assistance, please use ADEConnect's How to Videos.

HNS is eager to help SFAs understand Try it Local and procure local foods eligible for Try it Local funds. Please submit a School Interest Form to connect, learn more, and start receiving funds for eligible food purchases.

• School Interest Form
• How to Receive Try it Local Funding for Eligible Food Purchases
• HNS 09-2023: Try it Local: Arizona's Local Food for Schools Program Reimbursement
• HNS 08-2024: Revised Try It Local: Arizona’s Local Food for Schools Program and Reimbursement

HNS is equally as eager to provide support to producers and farmers who are interested in working with the school market. Please consider sharing about yourself by completing this Producer Interest Form.

Try it Local Resources