SNMCS State, Local & Tribal Governments

E2. GROUP 3—SFA DIRECTOR/LEA BUSINESS MANAGER SFA STAFFING AND

OPERATIONS INTERVIEW

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School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study

SFA Director and Business Manager Cost Interview

Includes the following instruments:

Staffing and Operations Interview

SFA Indirect Cost Questionnaire On-Site

Off Budget District Staff Interview Guide

Preliminary Food Service Expense Statement

SFA Food Cost Worksheet and Instructions

Sponsored by:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 195 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection.

O MB Control # 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

USDA/Food and Nutrition Service

School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study

SFA Staffing and Operations Interview

SFA ID #:

SFA Name:

SFA Director Name:

SFA Director Phone:

SFA Director email:

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for participating in the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study. In this interview, we will discuss questions about SFA staffing and operations, as part of the collection of data about school meal program costs. Should you have any questions about this study, please call 855-###-#### at Abt Associates, Inc.

About the Study. The School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS) will continue the long-standing commitment of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to periodic assessment of the school meal programs. This current assessment coincides with a period of considerable change for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). In recent years, schools participating in these programs implemented sweeping regulatory changes designed to increase children’s access to healthy foods at school and to promote adoption of healthy eating and physical activity habits. While FNS has conducted multiple studies of school nutrition and meal costs to date, SNMCS is the first such study after these major changes were implemented and the first to explore both nutrition and cost on a large national scale. This study will provide critical information of interest to USDA, the States, School Food Authorities (SFAs), and other program stakeholders that is not currently available.

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and its research partners Abt Associates, Agralytica, and Relyon Media to conduct the SNMCS for SY 2014-2015. Participation in the study by selected states, districts, and schools is required under Section 305 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA).

SNMCS will collect a broad range of data from nationally representative samples of public SFAs, schools, and students and their parents during SY 2014-2015. These data will provide Federal, State, and local policymakers with needed information about how federally sponsored school meal programs are operating after implementation of the new meal pattern and nutrient requirements and other changes in regulations. Comparisons of results from SNMCS with previous School Nutrition and Dietary Assessment (SNDA) and School Lunch and Breakfast Cost (SLBC) studies will provide information to assess the effects of the new nutrition standards on food service operations, the nutrient content of school meals offered and as served, meal costs and revenues, and student participation and dietary intake.

Protecting Privacy. All information gathered from school districts, schools, and households is for research purposes only and will be kept private to the full extent allowed by law. Responses will be grouped with those of other study participants, and no individual schools, districts, or students will be identified. We will inform parents of the study and our privacy practices. Any selected parent or student can choose not to participate in the study. We are not conducting audits or monitoring visits. Participation in the study will not affect meal reimbursements to participating districts and schools or school meal program benefits to participating households.

PART 1: FOOD SERVICE OPERATIONS

1. What was the first day of the current school year?

|___|___|___|___| 2014
Mo. Day

2. What is the last scheduled day of the current school year?

If your district operates year-round, please give me the date when the spring term ends.

|___|___|___|___| 2015
Mo. Day

3. Do any of the schools in this district offer foods from national or regional restaurant brands such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, or Subway?

• YES (Ask 3a-5)

• NO (Go to 6)

• REFUSED (Go to 6)

• DON’T KNOW (Go to 6)

3a. When are the brand-name restaurant food items offered? (Check all that apply.)

• Reimbursable Breakfast

• Reimbursable Lunch

• A la carte

• Adult meals

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

4. (Ask if reimbursable lunch is selected in 3a; else go to 5:) Do the brand-name restaurant food items that this school district serves for reimbursable lunches cost more, less, or about the same to serve as similar foods from other suppliers, after taking into account costs for food production labor, storage, equipment, and waste?

• Cost more (Ask 4a)

• Cost less (Ask 4c)

• Cost about the same (Go to 5)

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

• Not applicable

4a. How much more per meal does this district spend to serve the average reimbursable lunch with brand-name restaurant food items versus what that lunch would cost with non-brand-name foods? Please give your answer as dollars and cents per meal.

$_____________________ per meal (Go to 5)

• DON’T KNOW

4b. If DON’T KNOW, please provide an estimate of the percentage of how much more it costs to serve the average reimbursable lunch with brand-name restaurant food items versus what that lunch would cost with non-brand-name foods?

• 0-10% more

• 10-25% more

• 25-50% more

• more than 50% above the cost of lunch with non-brand-name foods

• DON’T KNOW

(Go to 5)

4c. How much less does this district spend to serve the average reimbursable lunch with brand-name restaurant food items versus what that lunch would cost with non-brand-name foods? Please give your answer as dollars and cents per meal.

$_____________________ per meal (Go to 5)

• DON’T KNOW

4d. If DON’T KNOW, please provide an estimate of the percentage of how much less it costs to serve the average reimbursable lunch with brand-name restaurant food items versus what that lunch would cost with non-brand-name foods?

• 0-10% less

• 10-25% less

• 25-50% less

• More than 50% less than the cost of lunch with non-brand-name foods

• DON’T KNOW

5. (Ask if reimbursable breakfast is selected in 3a; else go to 6:) Do the brand-name restaurant food items that this district serves for reimbursable breakfasts cost more, less, or about the same to serve as similar foods from other suppliers, after taking into account costs for food production labor, storage, equipment, and waste?

• Cost more (Ask 5a)

• Cost less (Ask 5c)

• Cost about the same (Go to 6)

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

• Not applicable

5a. How much more does this district spend to serve the average reimbursable breakfast with brand-name restaurant food items versus what that breakfast would cost with non-brand-name foods? Please give your answer as dollars and cents per meal.

$_____________________ per meal (Go to 6)

• DON’T KNOW

5b. If DON’T KNOW, please provide an estimate of the percentage of how much more it costs to serve the average reimbursable breakfast with brand-name restaurant food items versus what that breakfast would cost with non-brand-name foods?

• 0-10% more

• 10-25% more

• 25-50% more

• more than 50% above the cost of breakfast with non-brand-name foods

• DON’T KNOW

(Go to 6)

5c. How much less does this district spend to serve the average reimbursable breakfast with brand-name restaurant food items versus what that breakfast would cost with non-brand-name foods? Please give your answer as dollars and cents per meal.

$_____________________ per meal (Go to 6)

• DON’T KNOW

5d. If DON’T KNOW, please provide an estimate of the percentage of how much less it costs to serve the average reimbursable breakfast with brand-name restaurant food items versus what that breakfast would cost with non-brand-name foods?

• 0-10% less

• 10-25% less

• 25-50% less

• More than 50% less than the cost of breakfast with non-brand-name foods

• DON’T KNOW

6. What are the ways in which this district uses fresh produce for reimbursable meals?

• Served on a self-serve basis such as a salad bar or fruit bowl

• Served as a portioned fruit/vegetable menu item (for example, orange slices or a tossed salad)

• Used in recipes for mixed foods prepared by or for the SFA, such as fresh vegetables in spaghetti sauce

• Other (specify below)

• Do not use any fresh produce for reimbursable meals

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

• Other (Specify):

[If no fresh produce used, ask 6a, else go to 7]

6a. What is the main reason why this district does not use fresh produce for reimbursable meals?

• Cost of purchasing fresh produce

• Other costs (such as storage, preparation, waste)

• Not enough variety available

• Quality of available produce

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

• Other (Specify): _______________________________________________

[If no fresh produce used for reimbursable meals, skip to 9]

7. (Ask if 6 indicates any fresh produce used; else skip to 9:) Do the items using fresh produce that this district serves for reimbursable lunches cost more, less, or about the same to serve as similar foods without fresh produce, after taking into account costs for food production labor, storage, equipment, and waste?

• Cost more (Ask 7a)

• Cost less (Ask 7c)

• Cost about the same (Go to 8)

• Not applicable—do not use fresh produce for lunches

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

7a. How much more does this district spend to serve the average reimbursable lunch with food items using fresh produce versus what that lunch would cost without fresh produce? Please give your answer as dollars and cents per meal.

$_____________________ per meal (Go to 6)

• DON’T KNOW

7b. If DON’T KNOW, please provide an estimate of the percentage of how much more it costs per reimbursable lunch to use fresh produce

• 0-10% more

• 10-25% more

• 25-50% more

• More than 50% above the cost of lunch without fresh produce

• DON’T KNOW

(Go to 6)

7c. How much less does this district spend to serve the average reimbursable lunch with food items using fresh produce versus what that lunch would cost without fresh produce? Please give your answer as dollars and cents per meal.

$_____________________ per meal (Go to 8)

• DON’T KNOW

7d. If DON’T KNOW, please provide an estimate of the percentage of how much less it costs per reimbursable lunch to use fresh produce

• 0-10% less

• 10-25% less

• 25-50% less

• More than 50% less than the cost of lunch without fresh produce

• DON’T KNOW

8. (Ask if 6 indicates any fresh produce used; else go to 9:) Do the items using fresh produce that this district serves for reimbursable breakfasts cost more, less, or about the same to serve as similar foods without fresh produce, after taking into account costs for food production labor, storage, equipment, and waste?

• Cost more (Ask 8a)

• Cost less (Ask 8c)

• Cost about the same (Go to 9)

• Not applicable—do not use fresh produce for breakfasts

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

8a. How much more does this district spend to serve the average reimbursable breakfast with food items using fresh produce versus what that breakfast would cost without fresh produce? Please give your answer as dollars and cents per meal.

$_____________________ per meal (Go to 9)

• DON’T KNOW

8b. If DON’T KNOW, please provide an estimate of the percentage of how much more it costs per reimbursable breakfast to use fresh produce

• 0-10% more

• 10-25% more

• 25-50% more

• More than 50% above the cost of breakfast without fresh produce

• DON’T KNOW

(Go to 9)

8c. How much less does this district spend to serve the average reimbursable breakfast with food items using fresh produce versus what that breakfast would cost without fresh produce? Please give your answer as dollars and cents per meal.

$_____________________ per meal (Go to 9)

• DON’T KNOW

8d. If DON’T KNOW, please provide an estimate of the percentage of how much less it costs per reimbursable breakfast to use fresh produce

• 0-10% less

• 10-25% less

• 25-50% less

• More than 50% less than the cost of breakfast without fresh produce

• DON’T KNOW

PART 2: AFTER-SCHOOL SNACKS

9. Does this school district provide after-school snacks funded by a USDA program such as the NSLP or the Child and Adult Care Food Program or CACFP?

• NSLP (Ask 10-10d)

• CACFP (Ask 10-10d)

• OTHER/UNKNOWN USDA PROGRAM (Ask 10-10d)

• SNACK PROGRAM NOT FUNDED BY USDA (Go to 11)

• NO AFTER-SCHOOL SNACKS (Go to 11)

• REFUSED (Go to 11)

• DON’T KNOW (Go to 11)

10. What organization operates the after-school care program(s) in this school district that provide snacks under NSLP/CACFP/other USDA program? The program operator may be the SFA, an individual school, or an outside organization contracting with the SFA to provide after-school care. (Check all that apply.)

• SCHOOL DISTRICT

• INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL(S)

• OTHER (Specify): _________________________________________ 3

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

10a. In how many elementary schools in this school district are these USDA-funded after-school snacks offered?

__________ ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

• NONE

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

10b. In how many middle schools in this school district are these USDA-funded after-school snacks offered?

__________ MIDDLE SCHOOLS

• NONE

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

10c. In how many high schools in this school district are these USDA-funded after-school snacks offered?

__________ HIGH SCHOOLS

• NONE

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

10d. In how many other locations in this school district (such as preschools, other types of schools, or community centers) are these USDA-funded after-school snacks offered?

__________ OTHER LOCATIONS

• NONE

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

PART 3: FOOD COST

11. Next I would like to obtain the current prices for foods available for use in this this school district during SY 2014-2015 and information on the USDA Foods that your SFA has received this year. (Complete Food Prices and USDA Foods Value Checklist. Note issues in Q.11a.)

• COMPLETED CHECKLIST

• FOOD PRICE FOLLOW-UP NEEDED

• USDA FOODS FOLLOW-UP NEEDED

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

11a. Notes on issues discussed:

PART 4: ENROLLMENT AND FOOD INVENTORY DATA

(These questions require reference to administrative records)

12. Please complete the grid below. Before completing the grid, see instructions for classifying schools by type. See definitions of Provision 2/3 and Community Eligibility Provision schools.

	Number of Students as of October 2014
Student Information	Elementary	Middle	High	*Other	Total
Total student enrollment in schools with NLSP	______	______	______	______	______
Students approved for reduced-price lunch	______	______	______	______	______
Students approved for free lunch	______	______	______	______	______
Students in Provision 2/3 schools in non-base year	______	______	______	______	______
Students in Community Eligibility Provision schools	______	______	______	______	______

*Definition and grade ranges of “other” schools

Definitions: Provision 2 and 3 schools serve meals at no charge to all children as determined by application or other means once every four years. Schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision serve meals at no charge to all children based on the proportion of children certified for free school meals through means other than a household application.

Instructions: Refer to the following chart to classify schools by type. Count students according to the type of school they attend. If any schools do not fit these definitions (e.g., ungraded schools), please provide a description or the grade ranges in the space provided.

Lowest Grade	Highest Grade	Type
K, 1, 2 or 3	Any	Elementary
4 or 5	Less than 8	Elementary
4 or 5	8 or higher	Middle
6, 7, 8 or 9	Less than 10	Middle
6, 7, 8 or 9	10 or higher	High
10, 11 or 12	10, 11 or 12	High

13. What was the value of the School Food Authority’s (SFA’s) purchased food inventory at the start of the current school year?

$_______________ Start-of-year purchased food inventory/

13a. What is the procedure used to determine the value of the purchased food inventory? (Check one only)

• Purchased cost

• Current cost or market value

• Average cost

• Other (Specify): _____________________________________________

14. What was the value of the SFA’s inventory of USDA Foods (also known as donated commodities/brown boxes) at the start of the current school year? (Enter 0 if SFA does not receive USDA Foods.)

$_______________ Start-of-year USDA foods inventory

 Check here if value is not available

14a. Does the SFA use a single inventory method for all purchased food and USDA Foods?

• Yes (Go to end)

• No (Complete 14b)

14b. How does this SFA treat commodity processed products in computing the value of purchased food and USDA Foods inventories?

(Check one only)

• Included in purchased food inventory

• Included in USDA foods inventory

• Not applicable (Do not receive commodity processed products)

• Other (Specify): __________________________________________

PART 5: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

15. What time period does this school district use for its annual statements of income and expenses for the school foodservice account?

Begin _____ (day) of _____ (month)

End _____ (day) of _____ (month)

16. When will the unaudited SFA income and expense statements for the current school year be available?

__________ Day __________ Month __________ Year

17. When will the audited SFA income and expense statements for the current school year be available?

__________ Day __________ Month __________ Year

PART 6: EXPENSES, INDIRECT COSTS, AND OFF-BUDGET DISTRICT STAFF

18. Now I would like to complete the Expense Statement. (Go to and complete the expense statement with SFA director and/or business manager.)

• EXPENSE STATEMENT COMPLETE

• EXPENSE STATEMENT FOLLOW-UP NEEDED

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

18a. Notes on issues discussed:

19. Note to the interviewer: Review the State Indirect Cost Questionnaire sent prior to the visit. Check below if available.

• SICQ IS AVAILABLE (If yes, ask 19a; if no go to 19b.)

19a. Does your SFA use the indirect cost rate/other allocation method approved by the State?

• YES (Skip LEAICQ and go to 20)

• NO

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

19b. (Obtain/complete the LEA Indirect Cost Questionnaire. Resolve questions and problems.)

• LEA ICQ IS COMPLETED

• FOLLOW-UP ON LEAICQ NEEDED

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

19c. Notes on issues discussed:

NOTE TO THE INTERVIEWER:

If the SFA completed the Support Function Summary Grid during the SFA PVQ, then complete the columns labeled (A) on the Support Function Cost Grid in the Off Budget Staff Interview in advance of the interview. At the time of the interview, as part of the Off-Budget Staff Interview, you will confirm the information on who is responsible, then determine how the functions are handled (direct cost charged, indirect cost charged, indirect cost not charged, other cost).

If the Support Function Summary Grid was not completed in advance of the interview, then work with the respondent to complete the full grid in the Off Budget Staff Interview and the rest of the interview as appropriate.

20. Finally, I would like to complete the Off Budget Staff Cost Interview. (Includes Support Function Summary Grid with treatment of costs, Off-Budget Staff Roster, and Off-Budget Staff Time Allocation Grid.)

• OBSCI IS COMPLETED

• FOLLOW-UP NEEDED

• REFUSED

• DON’T KNOW

20a. Notes on issues discussed:

End

Thank you very much for your time. We greatly appreciate your help with the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study.

Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and Abt Associates