Region 6 was closed on Monday, January 20th, in observance of MLK Day and remained out of the office on January 21st due to inclement weather. It’s hard to believe we had snow in Huntsville, TX!

We are back in the office today and available to assist you with any questions you may have!

• January 15 - SSO site application opens
• March 1 - CEP Report opens in TX-UNPS (required by all CEs)
  
• March 20 - CEP Report deadline in TX-UNPS (required by all CEs)
  
• April 15 - NSLP Application opens in TX-UNPS
  
• May 31 - SSO Site application or renewal deadline
  
• June 30 - SNP application for CEP CEs due in TX-UNPS
  
• July 1 - Submit SNP Application Renewals due

The 2025 NSLP Financial Report opened on January 6, 2025.
All SFAs must ensure that the reported data on the Financial Report accurately reflects the SFA’s financial operations for the 2023-2024 fiscal period being reported. The Financial Report will be in Jotform this year.
Squaremeals.org includes resources to assist you in the completion of the 2025 NSLP Financial Report:
• Link to the financial report Jotform
• A blank financial report
• A “preparing for the financial report worksheet”
• A new interactive, self-paced training for completing your financial report

Please submit questions regarding the financial report to your ESC specialist or to school.operations@texasagriculture.gov.

Onsite Monitoring is Due 1.31.25. Districts must monitor all lunch sites and 50% of breakfast sites. (All breakfast sites every 2 years) Attached below are the forms to use depending on the program that you run in your district.

NSLP Onsite Monitoring Form

SBP Onsite Monitoring Form

CEP Onsite Monitoring Form

Form opens in TXUNPS - NOV. 1, 2024 DEADLINE TO SUBMIT - JAN. 31, 2025 SNP/Applications/Texas Summer Mandate SFAs that are mandated must submit their intent to operate a summer feeding program (SSO, SFSP or Partner with another SFA) or submit a waiver seeking approval to opt out of the mandated requirement to offer a summer meal program.

Coming Soon - TDA plans to release the new self-paced virtual SFSP Training in mid-January! At a minimum, the sponsor's supervisory personnel responsible for the food service must complete training prior to submitting the 2025 SFSP Application Packet

Renewal documents must be submitted to TDA for approval

FSMC Renewal Amendment 2025-26
Attachment 1 Meal Rates
Attachment 2 Food Service Budget
Attachment 3 Nonmaterial Changes
FSMC Contract Renewal Checklist

• TDA has distributed the initial Planned Assistance Level (PAL) in WBSCM for PY26 in December. The current rate of assistance published by USDA is 30 cents per meal. In January 2025, the rate of assistance will be updated by USDA to reflect the final adjustments anticipated for program year 2026.

• If you opted into the DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetables program you will also see your allocation set aside that will be loaded into FFAVORS for school year 2026 at the beginning of the program year.
• At this time USDA Foods team will not be making any adjustments to entitlement until after USDA releases the updated rate of assistance. All requests to opt-in to DoD have been finalized and will not be adjusted at this time.
• USDA Foods has opened catalogs for PY26 in WBSCM this month of January.

DoD Fresh FFV Program Participants:

• Please remember to complete receipts in FFAVORS for each delivery within 2 business days from the date of delivery.
• TDA monitors monthly utilization of DoD funds in FFAVORS to ensure proper use of entitlement. To maximize your DoD entitlement SFAs should be spending, at minimum, 10% per month. SFAs who have not been utilizing funds may be at risk of redistribution once the usage analysis begins.
• TDA will reach out to participants identified as low usage.
All ordering is complete for SY25. RAs can validate with a Requisition Status Report in WBSCM and checking the "Requisition Status" for “Approved by SDA”.

• Please check your user accounts in WBSCM to validate that appropriate SFA staff are active, have the correct roles assigned, and that their emails are up to date.
• Sales Orders that are in "Order Received" status are available at Gold Star and must be placed on a delivery schedule as soon as possible.
• Please check with Gold Star if you need any available surplus.

TX-UNPS Weekly Commodity Bulletin will no longer track entitlement allocations and balances for SY25. RAs must utilize a combination of reporting from WBSCM, FFAVORS and distributor systems

*SY25 Mid-Year Inventory Counts are complete for all State Contracted Warehouses (EPFH, SAFB, USF, and GSF). **
• Your State Contracted Warehouse inventory system is the inventory system used for SY25, so it is highly important that training has been completed for staff that place delivery orders and maintain inventory at your school sites. Ask system questions directly to the State Contracted Warehouse staff.
• Ensure you are organizing your current storage space to make room for your SY25 USDA Foods and monitor your inventory in conjunction with your menu planning. If you have any questions regarding your menus and/or inventory, contact your Education Service Center representative.
• As a reminder, keep your USDA Foods inventory levels less than 6MOH to maintain compliance with the NSLP for SY25. Monitor your Best-If-Used-By Dates, Expiration Dates, and Pack Dates to maintain inventory at optimum quality.
• Ensure all invoices are paid within 30 days of receiving your inventory/private storage fees.
• TDA has been reviewing the SY25 Private Storage reports from all FDP Regions and has instructed State Contracted Warehouses to force ship inventory that has been sitting over 45 days to your sites. Please place your delivery orders, accordingly.
• As you are aware, the Weekly Commodity Bulletin is no longer available to schools in TX-UNPS. In previous years, TDA has utilized the below reports/resources to pull together the information presented within the Weekly Commodity Bulletin. Each school will need to review the following reports/resources to gather the necessary information:

1. Identify items received/used through the reports below:
*WBSCM Reports*
a. Requisition Status Report
b. Value of Commodities Received – details products that have been shipped to your warehouse or processor:
*State Contracted Warehouse reports
*DOD Usage Reports
*ProcessorLink or K12 usage Reports

2. Once you have items used/received items, you can use one of two tools on SquareMeals to determine value of commodities received:
a. Cost Comparison Tool – used to help you determine the value of commodities received to ensure that your school received the correct credit, rebates, or discounts.
b. USDA Process Material Prices – provides an average material price for all USDA Foods even though it references Processor Materials.

3. If you need additional support or assistance with any transfer requests, please contact us here at Region 6. Ensure you are utilizing the H4529 Transfer Jotform for TDA approved transfers.

Team Nutrition is pleased to announce a new addition to the training series, The Road to Successful Menu Planning for School Meals, to help schools plan and implement menus that support updates to the school nutrition standards. The new 15-minute training covers identifying top sources of added sugars in your school menus!

This training series includes quarterly 1-hour live (and recorded) webinars co-hosted with the Institute of Child Nutrition, and short on-demand trainings. Both are designed to provide school nutrition professionals with quick tips, tools, and knowledge needed to meet the nutrition standards for added sugars and sodium and to help create a road map for successful school menu planning now through School Year 2027-2028.

Watch this recorded 1-hour webinar with the Institute of Child Nutrition:
• Creating Your Road Map to School Menu Planning Success!

Check out these short (about 15 minutes each), on-demand trainings:
• Defining Added Sugars and How to Find Them On a Nutrition Facts Label

• Choosing Yogurt That is Lower in Added Sugars for School Meals
• Choosing Breakfast Cereals That Are Lower in Added Sugars for School Meals
• Choosing Flavored Milk That Is Lower in Added Sugars for School Meals
• Identifying Top Sources of Added Sugars and Simple Swaps *NEW*

Fifteen standardized recipes have been added to the Child Nutrition Recipe Box (CNRB), seven of which are existing favorites that have been revised to reflect updates from the final rule, “Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” and eight new recipes that provide additional ideas for breakfast and lunch menus.
The eight new recipes include Whole Wheat Pancakes, Cauliflower Rice, Chicken Salad, Griddle Corn Cakes, Breakfast Bowl, Taco Salad, Sweet Potato Hummus, and Quinoa Bowl. The seven revised recipes are Pumpkin Bread, Oatmeal Muffin Squares, Kati Kati Chicken, Jerk Fish Wrap, Orange Glazed Carrots, Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and Vegetable Frittata.
USDA Standardized Recipes provide program operators and menu planners with appealing and practical menu options for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
You may access the newly-released recipes in the Child Nutrition Recipe Box – USDA Standardized Recipes.

Visit USDA for more information on the Final Rule and upcoming changes. Let us know what kind of resources would best support you in implementing these new meal standards – Click here

Team Nutrition’s “Offering Meats and Meat Alternates at School Breakfast” training guide has been updated to be consistent with the Final Rule, “Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” The final rule allows schools the option to offer grains, meats/meat alternates, or a combination of both at breakfast. This 20-page training guide shows school nutrition professionals how to offer meats and meat alternates at school breakfast by providing menu planning ideas, crediting information, sample menus, and more.
Available for download today.
For questions regarding this announcement, please reach out to TeamNutrition@USDA.gov.