This memorandum responds to a number of recent questions and requests to provide clarifying guidance to state agencies and child nutrition program operators, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program, regarding the expectation and enforcement of ethical conduct by their employees engaged in procurement of program goods and service.
The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify for state and local operators of the school meal programs the permissible use of funds from the nonprofit school food service account to lower or eliminate reduced price student meal charges.
In an effort to simplify procurement requirements for SFSP sponsors, this memorandum links existing procurement and contract thresholds referenced in the program regulations to the federal small purchase threshold currently set at $150,000.