National School Lunch Program
25-26 School Breakfast Program Exemptions
As required by Section 389 of Chapter 57 of the Laws of 1993 and Chapters 614 and 615 of the New York State (NYS) Laws of 1993, certain public schools must implement a School Breakfast Program (SBP) or seek an exemption annually.
Waiver Request Notification: Non-Congregate Meal Service
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is requesting prospective waivers for non-congregate meal service in school year (SY) 2025-26 for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and the NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
Access to the 24-25 SY DCMP Data Remains Available Thru 6/30/25
Access to the 2024–25 School Year Direct Certification Matching Process (DCMP) data will remain available through June 30, 2025.
School Food Authorities (SFAs) should immediately access and save 2024-25 DCMP data, as this data is used to apply for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). SFAs will not be able to access and retrieve the 2024-25 DCMP data after June 30, 2025.
Breakfast After the Bell in SY 25-26
All public elementary or secondary schools with at least seventy percent or more of its students eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the federal National School Lunch Program are required to offer all students a school breakfast after the instructional day has begun, “Breakfast After the Bell”. The schools meeting 70 percent free and reduced price is determined annually by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) based upon data submitted through the basic educational data system (BEDS) for the prior school year.
Reminder: Updated Nutrition Standards - Implementation by 7/1/25
Waiver Approval Notification: Annual Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Deadline
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has received approval to waive the statutory and regulatory requirements at Section 11(a)(1)(F)(x)(I) of the NSLA (42 U.S.C. 1759a) and at 7 CFR 245.9(f)(4)(i) for SY 2025-2026, that require LEAs electing CEP for the subsequent school year to notify their State agency by June 30. This waiver allows NYSED to extend the deadline for School Food Authorities (SFAs) to apply for CEP for the 2025-2026 school year to August 31, 2025.
This extension will ensure SFAs have ample time to assess their CEP status and apply for CEP participation.
25-26 P2 Base Year: Income Eligibility Guidelines, Application, and Related Information
This memorandum announces the Provision 2 base year income eligibility guidelines for the 2025-2026 school year and provides each School Food Authority (SFA) with the forms and guidance needed to process applications for free and reduced-price meals.
Changes to Recipient Agency Application Submission Window
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is implementing an important update to the application process for new Recipient Agency (RA) applications. Effective immediately, new RA applications will only be accepted once per year, aligning with the submission window for new School Food Authority (SFA) applications.
Bedner Growers, Inc. Recalls Cucumbers Because of Possible Health Risk
The full notice can be found here
Company Announcement
SY 25-26 Program Operations
*This is a consolidated list of information available on the website regarding program operations for school year 2024-2025 Program operations. Recent updates will be noted by the asterisk (*).