Appendix 7- Introductory Recruitment Letter

SCHOOL FOOD PURCHASE STUDY III
Draft OMB forms clearance package – Appendices
Appendix 7: THE INTRODUCTORY LETTER SENT TO RECRUITED SCHOOL
Mr/Ms XXXXXX
XXXXXXX
XXXXXX
XXXXX

April XX, 2009

Dear Mr/Ms XXXX
Thank you for agreeing to participate in the 2009/10 School Food Purchase Study that we are
conducting for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In a few days one of our staff members will call you to review the information we will be asking
for and the procedure for assembling it.
The overall purpose of this study is to develop an in-depth profile of food procurement by
school systems participating in the National School Lunch Program. Your participation in the
study will contribute greatly to its success.
Please review the introductory information below. It is designed to familiarize you with key
elements of the study and the part you will play in it.
The attached information will provide you with basic background information about this study,
it’s purpose, objectives and what will be involved. Your specific role is described along with
options for providing your data, and the process of receiving your administrative allowance to
help you offset any costs you incur. We will be glad to answer any questions you may have
when we call you, and we will provide a toll free number and e-mail address specifically for you
to use at any time.
A summary of the final study results will be sent to you once it has been completed. Thanks
again for your help. We look forward to working with you.

Nick Young, Project Director

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Study background
The school lunch and breakfast programs (NSLP & SBP) supplied roughly 6.7 billion meals in
2007. Food purchases of this magnitude have income and employment effects throughout the
food system, beginning at the farm and extending throughout food processing and distribution.
Not only do schools represent a large component of the nation’s overall demand for food, but
the USDA donated element of the NSLP provides supplementary support to America’s farmers
through USDA’s purchase of commodities that are in temporary surplus.
School food programs are also important for the role they play in ensuring that children from
low-income families have access to nutritious meals. Nearly 60 percent of all school lunches
and over 80 percent of all school breakfasts are served free to children from low-income
families.
It has been over a decade since the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted a national study
of school food purchases for the school year 1996/1997. Much has changed over this period.
Given these many changes, there is a need for updated information on what foods schools are
buying, how much they are paying, and what buying practices they are following. It is for these
purposes that the US Congress required the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to undertake this important study.1

Study objectives
The School Food Purchase Study will develop an in-depth profile of the market basket of foods
acquired and of the procurement practices followed by school systems participating in the
NSLP and SBP. More specifically, the study will:
• Develop national estimates of the volume and dollar value of over 1,000 food items
acquired (commercially and through USDA donations) by public school systems in
School Year 2009/2010.
• Examine changes in the composition and value of foods acquired by schools since data
were last collected in School Year 1996/97.
• Determine current school food purchase practices and the relationship of these
practices to food costs and to school system characteristics.
• Examine how schools have changed their practices in buying foods over the past decade
and the implications of these changes.
• Analyze the role now being played by a la carte foods.
• Analyze the nutritional profile of the mix of foods now being acquired.
1

Section 4307 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246), (H.R. 2419). This legislation
directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out a nationally representative survey of the foods
purchased by school food authorities during the most recent school year for which data are available.

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How results will be used
The results of this study will make several important contributions to improved understanding
of school food service and to the identification of actions that might be taken to further
strengthen the program in the future. Among these contributions, results of the study will:
• Document the demand for food resulting from school food programs and the
importance of these programs to the national agricultural economy as well as to
individual commodities and producing regions.
• Document the progress achieved to date in purchasing more nutritious foods. Study
results will also provide nationally-representative cost information that can be used to
cost out different menu options.
• Identify food procurement practices that school districts use to achieve lower prices and
to promote more cost-effective procurement.
• Assess the relative importance of USDA donated foods for school feeding programs and
examine changes in the composition of donated foods over time.
• Identify changes in the extent to which foods acquired by schools are prepared or
processed and the role of a la carte menu items.
• Provide commercial food processors and distributors with an up-to-date profile of the
school food market and how school districts buy their food.

Your role in the study
Your school district is one of a sample of 425 that has been selected to participate in this study.
Through your participation, you will be making an important contribution to improved
understanding of the operation of school feeding programs throughout the nation. The
information you provide will be combined with that collected from other school districts taking
part in the study and will become the basis for national estimates of food use by school feeding
programs.
As a participant in the study you will be asked to assist us in the following three ways:
1)

Assemble and send to us for each of the three months of your participation in the
study:
a. Records of ALL purchased foods and beverages received for your school feeding
program.
b. Records of ALL USDA donated foods and those processed products
manufactured using donated foods.

These records are to be submitted by the 15th of the month following the month to which
they apply. (For example, data for the month of July - for those school districts participating
during July, August and September - should be submitted by August 15.)

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2)

Review for accuracy a computer printed list that we will prepare summarizing your
food purchase and USDA donation records for the three month period for which
you provided invoices or purchase records. We will prepare this listing and send it
to you approximately 45 days after the end of your three month period.
In reviewing this list we will ask you to:
a. Scan the list for possible errors or omissions.
b. Identify any processed foods on the list that contain USDA donated foods as
ingredients.
c. Identify those foods that are most prominently used in your a la carte offerings.

3)

Complete a survey that asks general questions about your school feeding program
and procurement practices. This survey will be mailed to you near the end of your
three month data collection period. Based on our pretest of the survey, we
estimate it will take about one and one-quarter hours to complete.

Schedule of participation
The key dates relating to your participation in the study are outlined below.

Quarter

Food acquisition
records for the
month of:

Records to be
submitted by:

I. Summer

July, 2009
August, 2009
September, 2009

August 15, 2009
September 15, 2009
October 15, 2009

Procurement
practices survey
submitted by:

Review of summary
listing completed by:

October 15, 2009

November 30, 2009

Options for providing data
Sending us your food purchase data is one of the biggest responsibilities you will have as you
participate in this study. Our staff is dedicated to making this requirement as easy on you as
possible. When we call you in the next few days, we will ask questions like:
• What is the best way for us to receive details of your purchases?
• How many vendors do you typically purchase from?
• Will your major vendors be able to provide a monthly summary of the items you
purchase (with quantities, case size and prices)? If you need a sample letter to send to
your vendor, we can supply one.
• Would it be easier for you to send us a printout of your purchases or a copy of your
invoices, or would you prefer to tally some of your purchases yourself?
If you’d like to give some thought to this before we call - GREAT!

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Administrative allowance
Your participation in this study is greatly appreciated. We know that pulling together this much
information requires effort on your part. We know, too, that your effort is not without cost
(staff time, copying expenses, postage). To help defray the costs associated with your
participation in the study USDA has authorized payment of an administrative allowance.
How is your administrative allowance calculated?
• Your check will be between $100 to $400 based on the number of reimbursable lunches
served in October 2008 as reported to us by your State Child Nutrition Director. This
money is yours to use for your program in any way that you wish.
When will you receive your administrative allowance?
• Your administrative allowance will be mailed to you after we have called to discuss this
material. Please be prepared to tell us how to make out the check and the correct
address to use. You may use these funds however you wish within your school system.
They need not be applied directly to your food service program if you prefer.

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Study hot line
If at any time you have questions or concerns about this study or your participation please call any of the
study team listed below.
We work on east coast time, so please leave us a message if we don’t answer personally and we will return
your call.
We can be reached at either of the two following numbers:
1-800-204-9718
Ann Krome
Or 1-866 461 4378
Nick Young, Extension 111
Thomas Earley, Extension 113
Salli Diakova, Extension 112

Again, we thank you for agreeing to participate in this important USDA study. We will do everything in
our power to make your participation easy and enjoyable.
We will be calling you in the next few days.

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