*Please note that on April 20 the date and time of this webinar changed from April 26 to April 29, 2022 at 11:00AM-12:00PM PDT. Previously registered participants need not take any additional action as a result.*
Come this fall, all California charter schools will be subject to federal laws governing nutritionally adequate breakfasts and lunches. It’s an astonishing rule change given that California charter schools must maintain compliance with these laws regardless of their enrollment in (or even eligibility to) these federal programs.
Driving the change is the new Universal Meals Program (UMP), which was established by the education omnibus budget trailer bill, AB 130. Specifically, the UMP will:
- Require all classroom-based charter schools to offer two meals a day meeting federal meal standards, free of charge, to all students , without regard to their income status.
- Effectively mandate schools to participate in the complex federal meals programs.
This webinar will review the complex mandate to provide free meals twice daily to all students starting in the 2022-23 school year, to participate in complex federal funding programs, and provide practical tips on how to navigate this massive mandate with an eye toward nutritionally sound, yet financially and operationally sustainable, implementation in charter school settings.
CSDC recently published an extensive article on the topic, “The Universal Meals Program Mandates are Not One-Size Fits All,” the full text of which is available exclusively to CSDC Members. In this follow-up webinar, we’ll seek to:
- Review the meal service mandates and how they differ from current law
- Outline practical implications for schools that currently do and do not participate in the federal meal programs
- Outline the mandate to participate in the confusing federal “universal feeding” provisions if schools serve significant proportions of low-income students
- Outline key operational considerations and challenges
- Outline key financial and sustainability considerations
- Provide practical tips on how to navigate these challenges
- Offer advocacy talking points for schools as the legislature considers key funding and implementation details this spring
- Provide time to answer your questions and hear your concerns
Join Candice Lamarche, CSDC’s Charter School Operations Specialist, and Emily Chatelain, Founder and CEO of the School Food and Wellness Group, as they share tips and strategies for preparing for this shift.
This webinar is available exclusively to CSDC School and Authorizer Members. We hope you can join us!
