Nutrition

COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides an alternative to household applications in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The intent of the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) is to improve access to free school meals in eligible, high poverty school districts and to eliminate the administrative burden of collecting household applications. Taos High School, Taos Middle School, Enos Garcia Elementary School, Ranchos Elementary, Arroyos del Norte Elementary, Chrysalis Alternative High School and Cyber Magnet School are participating in a Universal Breakfast and Lunch Program for the current 2021-2022 school year. If your children attend any of the schools listed, breakfast/lunch will be available to them at no charge. All students enrolled at these schools may participate in the breakfast/lunch program at no charge to them. By providing breakfast/lunch to all children at no charge, we are hoping to create a better learning environment for our students. Numerous studies and practical thinking all point to the realization that hungry children cannot learn as well as children who are fed balanced meals. The school breakfasts and lunches follow USDA New Meal Pattern guidelines for healthy school meals. The CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) cannot succeed without your support. Please encourage your children to participate in school meal programs. All meals will be served to all students at no charge regardless of income eligibility status.

TAOS MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS 2021-2022

Student Nutrition Programs

USDA has issued Pandemic Flexibilities for Schools and Day Care Facilities through June 2022 to support Safe Reopening and Healthy Nutritious Meals.

https://www.usda.gov/ media/pressreleases/2021/04/20

National School Lunch Program

The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946 (USDA).

http://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp

School Breakfast Program (SBP)

The School Breakfast Program provides cash assistance to states to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. The Food and Nutrition service administers the SBP at the Federal level. State education agencies administer the SBP at the state level, and local school food authorities operate the Program in schools (USDA).

https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp

Afterschool Snack Program (ASP)

The National School Lunch Program offers cash reimbursement to help schools serve snacks to children in afterschool activities aimed at promoting the health and well being of children and youth in our communities. A school must provide children with regularly scheduled activities in an organized, structured and supervised environment; include educational or enrichment activities (e.g., mentoring or tutoring programs). Competitive interscholastic sports teams are not an eligible afterschool program. The programs must meet State/local licensing requirements, if available, or State/local health and safety standards. All programs that meet the eligibility requirements can participate in the National School Lunch Program and receive USDA reimbursement for afterschool snacks.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. This summer, USDA plans to serve more than 200 million free meals to children 18 years and under at approved SFSP sites (USDA).

http://www.fns.usda.gov/ sfsp/summer-food-service-program

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a federally assisted program providing free fresh fruits and vegetables to students in participating elementary schools during the school day. The goal of the FFVP is to improve children’s overall diet and create healthier eating habits to impact their present and future health. The FFVP will help schools create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices; expanding the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience; and increasing children’s fruit and vegetable consumption (USDA).

http://www.fns.usda.gov/ ffvp/fresh-fruit-and-vegetable-program

http://www.fns.usda.gov/ school-meals/afterschool-snacks

TAOS MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS 2021-2022