DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 11
October 27, 2006
REGULATORY
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Requirements
for Lunch Periods in Schools Participating in the |
Federal
regulations (7CFR 210.10(f)(1)) state that schools
participating in the National School Lunch Program “must offer lunches between
10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.” All schools
participating in this United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program
must comply with these regulations.
School divisions may request an exemption from this required time period
only when special circumstances exist.
The Department of Education must evaluate the circumstances of each
exemption request and determine if the request meets one of the following two
standards established by USDA:
·
Standard
1: State agencies may grant reasonable
variances from the meal service requirements to accommodate special
circumstances encountered in schools operating for traditional students at
traditional times. For example, if a
school has a legitimate need to extend the lunch service hours to 2:30 p.m. due
to capacity concerns or because of extended school hours, such an exception
would be a special circumstance.
·
Standard
2: State agencies may grant exemptions
from the meal service requirements if the school in question operates for
traditional students, but at a nontraditional time. Exemptions will be granted contingent upon
the understanding that (a) these alternative programs provide students of high
school grade or under an opportunity to obtain the minimum requirements needed
for graduation at a nontraditional time, and (b) it is not possible to serve
lunch at a more traditional time. For
example, some work-study programs allow high school students to work in the
morning or afternoon hours and attend high school classes in the late
afternoon.
School
divisions must submit an exemption request to the Department of Education when
it is determined that special circumstances exist which necessitate an
exemption to the required lunch time periods for school(s) under their
jurisdiction. All requests for exemptions
must include: 1) name of school
division, 2) name(s) of the school(s), 3)a description of each school’s special
circumstances requiring lunch service outside the required 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
time period, 4) the proposed time schedule for lunch service, and 5) the
prospective ending date for the special circumstances which required the
exemption. Exemption requests must be
submitted by the division superintendent to Lynne Fellin,
acting director of school nutrition programs.
Questions may
be addressed to the school nutrition program specialist assigned to the
division, or to Lynne Fellin, acting director, at
(804) 225-2074/2082.
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