Skip to main content
mobile menu
Arizona Department of Education Homepage
  • SY 2022-2023
  • Home
  • Students & Families
    • Adult Education
    • Early Childhood & Preschool
    • Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA)
    • Parents & Families
    • School Report Cards
    • Transcripts & Test Scores
  • Educators
    • Academic Standards
    • Assessment
    • Career & Technical Education
    • Certification & Career
    • Post-Secondary & ECAP
    • Public Educator Search
    • Support & Improvement Resources
    • Training & Professional Development
  • Administrators
    • Accountability
    • School & Student Data
    • School Finance
    • School Support & Improvement
    • State & Federal Grants
    • Training & Conferences
  • Programs & Supports
    • Afterschool & 21st Century Learning Centers
    • Educator and School Excellence
    • English Learners | OELAS & Migrant Education Program
    • Gifted & Advanced Learning
    • Health & Nutrition Services
    • Homeless, Foster Care, & Refugee Programs
    • Information Technology
    • Office of Digital Teaching & Learning
    • Office of Indian Education
    • School Safety & Social Wellness
    • Special Education
  • About ADE
    • About the Department
    • News Releases
    • Contact Us
    • Critical Race Theory Explained
    • Data Governance
    • Events
    • State Board of Education
    • State Board for Charter Schools
    • Submit a Complaint
  • ADEConnect
    • ADEConnect
    • Common Logon
  • Search
  • Home
  • Health and Nutrition Services
  • National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) are federally assisted meal programs through the United States Department of Agriculture operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free breakfast and lunches to children each school day. The USDA Foods Program supports domestic nutrition programs and American agricultural producers through purchases of 100% American grown and -produced foods for use by schools and institutions participating in the federal programs.

If your entity would like to become a School Food Authority of the National School Lunch Program, please contact (602) 542-8700 or email [email protected]. The first step towards providing healthy meals to your students begins with the Prospective Sponsoring Entity Form.

  • Prospective Sponsoring Entity Form
  • Required Entity Organization Application Forms

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] or call (602) 542-8700 Option 2.

  • 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)

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.

Beginning in School Year 2022--2023, ADE will also conduct the required Procurement Review alongside the NSLP AR.

Review List

  • Administrative Review Schedule: School Year 2022-2023

 

Training

  • What to Expect: National School Lunch Program Administrative Review for School Year 2022-2023

 

Appeal Procedures

  • School Food Authority Appeal Procedure for the Administrative Review 

 

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

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
  • Guide to Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs
  • 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

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
  • The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars
  • State Match for Districts
  • State Match for Charters
  • Institute of Child Nutrition Financial Management Information System - 2nd Edition
  • Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs

  • Administrative Reviews Summary
  • CEP Annual Notification and Publication for School Year (SY) 2022-2023
  • Verification Non-Response Rate Report

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!

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 12 individuals representing 37 LEAs and 178 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 2023. 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

 

Resources for Operators

Program Forms and Resources

Training

Reimbursement Rates

USDA Foods Administrative Fee Structure

Sign Up For Our Email Updates

 

  • Administrators and School Leaders
    • New Legislation
    • Free and Reduced Data and use with other programs
    • Summer P-EBT
  • Parents and Families
    • Paying for Meals Again
    • Summer P-EBT
    • Menu Requirements
    • Additional Benefits for Children and Families
  • Child Nutrition Program Operators
    • Child Nutrition Flexibilities
    • National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program
    • Child and Adult Care Food Program
    • Afterschool Care Snack Program and At-Risk Afterschool Meals
    • Summer Meal Service
    • Staying on Track Monthly Webinar
  • Peer to Peer Support for Child Nutrition Professionals
  • Free and Reduced-Price Percentage Report
  • HNS/USDA Memos
  • Civil Rights
  • Submit Data Request

Contact

  • Health & Nutrition Services
  • (602) 542-8700
  • [email protected]

From the Health and Nutrition Services Blog

Health and Nutrition Services Announces the Availability of the 2023 Summer Food Service Program Wed, Feb 1 2023

The Arizona Department of Education Health and Nutrition Services (HNS) is pleased to announce the availability of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) during summer 2023. 

Congratulations to the School Year 2021-2022 BRAVOcado! Excellence Awardees! Tue, Oct 11 2022

The Arizona Department of Education Recognizes Schools for Exemplary Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs  

The Arizona Department of Education Health and Nutrition Services is pleased to announce the Program Year 2021-2022 BRAVOcado! awardees for excellent Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) operations. The BRAVOcado! Excellence Award is given to schools that demonstrate exemplary FFVP service and commitment to promoting fruit and vegetable consumption and healthy lifestyles to their students.

The FFVP BRAVOcado! Excellence Award recognizes schools that go above and beyond to operate a phenomenal FFVP program. To be eligible for the award, sites must meet criteria related to variety of produce items served, frequency of service, frequency of nutrition education, frequency of serving local produce, development of site-level and outside partnerships, and more!

The following three School Food Authorities went above and beyond and received the award this year. Congratulations to all awardees!

  • Concho Elementary School 
  • Concordia Charter School 
  • Southgate Academy, Inc.

  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Certification
  • Language / Lenguaje
  • Privacy Policy
  • School Report Cards
  • State Board of Education
  • State Board for Charter Schools
  • Web Accessibility

© 2023 Arizona Department of Education

Social Links

Arizona Department of Education Twitter
Arizona Department of Education Facebook Page
  • Statewide Policies
  • Site Map