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Healthy School Meals for All Program

healthy school meals for all program image header
 

The Healthy School Meals for All program allows public School Food Authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to provide free meals to all students beginning School Year 2023-24. Additional components of the program, including funding to increase wages or provide stipends for front line kitchen staff and incentives to purchase local food, are subject to appropriations and may be available in future years. 


How To Apply

Application Instructions

SFAs will indicate whether they opt-in to the program via the School Nutrition Programs application in the Colorado Nutrition Portal. The application should reflect CDE’s operating recommendations in order to maximize federal reimbursements. Applications are due by Friday, Sept. 15.


How to Claim

Sponsors operating the Healthy School Meals for All program will follow CDE School Nutrition's standard claiming guidance


Program Requirements

Any Colorado public school district, charter school food authority, day treatment facility, or Residential Child Care Institution that participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program may opt into the Healthy School Meals for All program. HSMA is optional; SFAs are not required to participate. To participate, a SFA must:

  • Provide annual notice of participation to the department of education
  • Maximize the amount of federal reimbursement by implementing CDE’s operating recommendations, which may include CEP, Provision 2, and/or non-Provisional program sites.
  • Provide free meals to all students enrolled in participating schools 
  • Complete activities identified in the HSMA Application Collection Policy (for sites not recommended for CEP)

Private schools are not eligible to opt into HSMA.

In School Year 2024-25, the local food purchasing program pilot was extended. The implementation of the wages and stipends program is delayed until the 2025-26 school year, subject to available funding. 

Sponsors are encouraged to watch the recording of the November On the Menu Session, view the November On the Menu Slides (PDF) and reference this Healthy School Meals for All FAQ  to learn more about the Healthy School Meals for All program.

Policy & Guidance

Program Resources:

Program Outreach

Use outreach materials to communicate about your participation in the program and communicate to families about the importance of providing household income information.

Use these videos to share information in your community about Healthy School Meals for All.

 


Technical Advisory Workgroup

Overview

HB24-1390 Requires CDE to establish and regularly convene the technical advisory work group to make the following recommendations to the legislature: 

  • Identify ways to maximize federal reimbursements
  • Reduce costs of the program
  • Review cost-savings options, including minimizing food waste
  • Strengthen the long-term resiliency of the healthy school meals for all cash fund
  • Create model revenue scenarios
  • Provide options and recommendations to balance program revenues and expenditures

CDE will work with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Office of State Planning and Budget and a team of expert facilitators and researchers to lead an open and transparent process that includes robust stakeholder engagement. 

A public comment period is available Sept. 9 through Sept. 30 to solicit policy suggestions and better understand the values related to this program that are important to the public. 

Task Force Members

  • Bre Riley; CDE Executive Director of School Nutrition
  • Kerri Link; CDE Policy & Compliance Supervisor
  • Jenny Herman; CDE State Programs Manager
  • Lyza Shaw; CDE Financial and Technical Supervisor
  • Shelbie Konkel; CDE Senior Legislative Advisor
  • Wayne Peel; CDE Chief Financial Officer
  • Jennifer Okes; CDE District Operations Special Advisor
  • Meghan Perkins; CDE Data Manager
  • Brett Johnson, Adams-Arapahoe 28J Chief Financial Officer
  • Amanda Laban, CDA, Chief Markets Director 

  • Michele Meyer, CDA, Programs Manager Food System Development 
  • William Mixon, OSPB, Senior Economist and Budget Analyst
  • Soumanetra Ghosh, OSPB, Economist and Budget Analyst
  • Amanda Bickel, JBC Chief Legislative Budget and Policy Analyst
  • Anna Gerstle, LCS Senior Fiscal Analyst & School Finance Analyst
  • Elizabeth Ramey, LCS Economist
  • Greg Sobetski, LCS Chief Economist
  • Kate Watkins, Bright Fox Analytics; budget modeling based on HSMA options 

Upcoming Meetings

  • October 8, 2024
  • October 22, 2024

Meeting dates are subject to change.

Contact Us

Brehan Riley, Executive Director, at riley_b@cde.state.co.us.