Appendix B7. Survey of Food Purchase Practices

OMB Control No: 0584-0471 Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX Expiration Date: 03/31/2019

Appendix B7. Survey of Food Purchase Practices

Survey of Food Purchase Practices

1. Welcome!

Your school food authority (SFA) has been selected to participate in USDA’s School Food Purchase Study-IV. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has commissioned this study to describe and assess SFA practices related to food procurements (including commercially purchased and USDA Foods) for school meals. USDA will use this information to better understand how SFAs make decisions that shape their procurement practices as well as the types, volume, and cost of food purchases. We encourage you to work with other staff in your SFA if you do not have answers to some of the questions.

The law governing the School Meal Programs requires organizations participating in the programs to cooperate in studies such as School Food Purchase Study-IV. While your individual participation in the survey is completely voluntary, your responses will provide important information about school food purchasing to USDA and help ensure the study results are nationally representative.

Be assured that your answers will be kept private as required by law, and will not be shared with anyone not involved with conducting the study. Neither your name, the name or your SFA, nor any other information about your identity will be used in any reports. Only aggregated results will be reported. Your participation in this survey will not affect your employment or your SFA’s participation in any Child Nutrition Programs.

The web survey is designed to be completed in approximately 90 minutes, including the time it takes to gather the materials and data needed to answer the questions. We encourage you to complete the web survey as soon as possible. SFAs that complete all data requests for the study will receive $300 as a thank you for participation, which may be used towards the cost of a conference or other professional development opportunities.

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2. Materials Needed

The Survey of Food Purchase Practices gathers information about your SFA’s procurement practices. Listed below are some of the key items you may want to compile before launching the survey. We also encourage you to review the PDF copy of the survey [Programmer: Clicking this link should open the Pdf of the survey in a separate window] you received via email.

Section	Materials Needed
Procurement Practices and Procedures	Estimated percentage of total food purchases planned through cooperative buying programs for School Year 2021-2022. Planned estimated percentage of food cost from locally grown products, and top 5 locally grown/produced items planned for purchase in School Year 2021-2022.
Direct Delivered and Processed USDA Foods	USDA Foods entitlement ($) for School Year 2021-2022. Estimated percentage of USDA Foods entitlement spent on processed end products containing USDA Foods in the previous School Year 2020-2021.
Vendors Supplying Foods to the District	Name of all vendors and food-buying cooperatives from which you purchase foods
District characteristics	For School Year 2021-2022: Total number of schools in the district (overall, elementary, middle/secondary) Number that participate in NSLP only, SBP only, both NSLP and SBP. Number of SBP severe need, year-round, and CEP schools. Total student enrollment (overall, elementary, middle/secondary) Average daily attendance Enrollment in SBP severe need, year-round, and CEP schools Number of students approved to receive free and reduced price meals Meal prices charged to students (lunch and breakfast) by type (full price, reduced price) Count of kitchens by type for all schools in the district Count of schools offering various food service options, such as a la carte, free fresh fruits and vegetables; choice of NSLP entrée; open campus; vending machines; snack bar/school store; breakfast service models.

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3. Survey navigation and functionality

As you respond to the survey, please note the following:

• For optimal display, use a laptop or desktop computer rather than a smartphone.

• To return to a previous question, use the “Back” button at the bottom of the screen instead of your browser’s “back” button.

• For definitions or clarification on specific terms, hover your cursor over highlighted text. This will show more information about the term.

• Select only one response for each question, unless you see the words “select all that apply.” If you select multiple responses for questions that require only one response, only the last selected response will be retained as your response. Please review all responses and then make a selection to avoid the last response being retained.

• Click “Next” at the end of each screen, to save your responses and go to the next question.

• Click ‘Save and Continue Later” if you need to take a break. The responses you have entered so far will be saved and next time you resume the survey, it will pick up from where you left off. You can still click on the ‘Back’ button if you need to change answers to previous questions.

• Use the same link and PIN to resume and complete the survey.

• The PIN can be shared by multiple staff so staff who are most knowledgeable can complete relevant sections.

• Make sure to click on ‘Submit’ on the last screen to complete the survey.

Thank you for your participation in this important survey.

4. CONTACT INFORMATION:

School District Name: ______________________ Date:____________________________

Please review and update the contact information for the primary point of contact.

Primary point of contact for USDA School Food Purchase Study:

Name:________________________

Email: ________________________

Phone: _______________________

[Programmer: this information will be pre-filled from the SMS. We want the respondent to verify and change if necessary. SMS should be updated with any changes.]

1. Section 1: Procurement Practices and Procedures for School Year 2021-2022

1. Use of a Food Service Management Company in School Year 2021-2022

1. In the current School Year 2021-2022, is your food service operation under the direction of a private food service management company (FSMC)?

• Yes

• No  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.3

1.1a Please provide the name of the FSMC: _______________________

2. Which of the following describes your contract with the food service management company?

• Cost-plus-fixed-fee

• Fixed-fee-per meal

• Other, describe: _________________

2. Vendor Selection in School Year 2021-2022

3. Who in your school district has primary responsibility for determining where foods are purchased, i.e., which vendors are selected, whether by bid or other method?

If this person has more than one position, please select the position that best describes the person’s duties.

• District food service director

• Business office/purchasing department

• Kitchen manager/head cook

• School Board

• Food service management company

• Other, describe: _______________

4. Which factors influence the selection of food vendors for your school district?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• Price

• Brands

• Ability to meet specifications

• Service after sale

• Dependability

• Also handles USDA Foods

• Location

• Flexibility

• Food quality

• Delivery schedules

• Meets food safety requirements

• Promotion programs

• Other, describe: _________________

5. Which of the following services do your major vendors supply?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• Advice on purchasing

• Unloading at dock/school

• Placing packages in coolers/storage area

• Shelving delivered foods

• Inventory updating

• Summary of purchases on a monthly or quarterly basis

• Menu planning

• Delivery of USDA Foods

• Storage of USDA Foods

• Processing of USDA Foods

• Access to online reports

3. Food Selection and Food Purchase Decisions in School Year 2021-2022

6. Are food purchase decisions made at the level of the school district (centralized), at the level of the individual school (decentralized), or some combination of the two?

• Centralized

• Decentralized

• Combination

7. Who in your school district has primary responsibility for determining which foods are purchased?

If this person has more than one position, please select the position one that best describes the person’s duties.

• District food service director

• Business office/purchasing department

• Kitchen manager/head cook

• School Board

• Food service management company

• Other, describe: _______________

4. Participation in Food-Buying Cooperatives in School Year 2021-2022

1. Is your school district participating in a food-buying cooperative in School Year 2021-2022?

• Yes

• No  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.13

1.8a If yes, how many buying cooperatives?

• One

• More than one, enter count: _______

b. Please provide the name(s) of the food-buying cooperative: _____________

Programmer: Display the number of data entry fields as indicated in 1.8a.

9. What are the product categories managed by the cooperative(s)?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• USDA Foods

• All Foods

• Specific Food Categories: (PROGRAMMER: DISPLAY the following. Multiple selection should be enabled): Dairy, Bread and Bakery, Fresh Produce, Canned/Staples, Frozen Foods, Fresh Meats, Snack Items, Ice Cream, Other Beverages, ___)

• Other, Describe: _________________________________

10. What effect has membership in a food-buying cooperative had on your ability to purchase the food items you want?

• Expands ability

• Limits ability

• No effect

11. What effect has membership in a food-buying cooperative had on your overall food costs?

• Reduced costs

• Increased costs

• No effect

1.12. Does your food-buying cooperative charge a fee for participating?

• YES

• NO

13. Please estimate the share (percent) of total food purchases by the school district for the current School Year 2021-2022 that will be purchased cooperatively.

____________%

• Do not belong to a food-buying cooperative

1. Participation in State Farm to School Program in School Year 2021-2022

13. Does your state have a State Farm to School Program?

• YES

• NO  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.15

1.14a. Does your district purchase foods through the State Farm to School Program?

• YES

• NO

6. Buying Programs for Locally Grown Products in School Year 2021-2022

13. Does your district have a buying program for locally grown products in School Year 2021-2022?

• YES, district has a buying program

• NO, but district is developing a buying program

• NO  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.16

1. How does your district define “locally grown”?

• Same city/county

• Produced within a 50 mile radius

• Produced within a 100 mile radius

• Produced within a 200 mile radius

• Produced within a day’s drive

• Produced within the state

• Produced within the region

• We do not have a set definition

• Other, describe: ________

13. Of your total expected food costs in the current School Year 2021-2022, what share (percent) do you estimate will be locally grown?

_______ percent

• Did not buy locally grown products in School Year 2021-2022  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.17

1.16a.What are the top 5 locally grown/produced items by dollar value that you plan to purchase in School Year 2021-2022?

1. ______________________________________

2. ______________________________________

3. ______________________________________

4. ______________________________________

5. ______________________________________

7. Inventory Control Processes to Trace Food Recalls for School Year 2021-2022

13. Do you have inventory control processes so that a product can be traced during a food recall?

• YES

• NO  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.18

1.17a. In the event you need to locate a specific food product, for example due to a recall, how far can you track the food product?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• To vendors

• To receiving

• To warehouse

• To distribution to another site

• To storage at another site

• Used in a recipe or as a menu item

8. Inclusion of Branded Fast Food Products in School Year 2021-2022

13. Do you offer branded products from national fast food restaurant chains (e.g., Subway, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, etc.) in your food service operation?

• YES

• NO Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.19

1.18a. Which of the following brands of fast foods do you offer? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

Arby’s			Pizza Hut	
Boardwalk Fries and Burgers			Subway	
Burger King			Taco Bell	
Chick-fil-A			Other, describe	
Domino’s			______________	
KFC			______________	
Little Caesar’s			______________	
McDonald’s			______________	

1.18b. How do the vendors supply the branded fast food product?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• As ingredients, school prepares

• As cold products, school heats

• As finished item, delivered to school

 Other, describe: ____________

1.18c. Are these branded fast food products used in reimbursable meals only, sold as nonprogram foods (a la carte) only, or used in both reimbursable meals and nonprogram foods/a la carte sales?

• In reimbursable meals only

• A la carte/nonprogram foods only

• Both reimbursable meals and a la carte/nonprogram foods

9. Use of Product Specifications to Purchase Foods in School Year 2021-2022

1.19. In purchasing individual food items, do you use product specifications to describe the product?

• YES

• NO  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.20

1.19a. Which of the following product specifications do you use?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• Official quality/grade standards (e.g. Grade A/U.S. No. 1)

• Style/variety of product (e.g. sliced cling peaches)

• Brand name

• Container weight

• Fat content and/or type of fat

• Calorie content

• Sodium content

• Wholegrain content

• Origin (where produced)

• Packaging unit (e.g., case of 6-#10 cans)

• Condition (e.g., temperature or evidence of spoilage)

• Use of Child Nutrition (CN) labels that identify contribution toward meal pattern requirements

• Official standards of identity from Code of Federal Regulations

• Food safety criteria

10. Compliance with Buy American Provision in School Year 2021-2022

The Buy American provision requires school districts participating in the NSLP or SBP, to the maximum extent practical, to buy agricultural commodities produced in the United States and to buy food products processed in the United States using agricultural commodities, and at least 51 percent of the final processed product consists of domestically grown agricultural commodities, by weight or volume.

20. What methods/processes does your district use to ensure that you comply with the Buy American provision?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• Include Buy American or “domestic” clause in other procurement documents for food

• Request distributors, manufacturers, or suppliers provide certification of the origin of their food products

• Have a process for a distributor, manufacturer, or supplier to request permission to substitute a non-domestic food product for a domestic product

• Require distributors, manufacturers, or suppliers to provide documentation showing exceptions for supply of non-domestic food products

• Examine food product packaging provided by the distributor, manufacturer, or supplier

• Inquire with the distributor, manufacturer, or supplier about the origin of the food product

• Monitor contractor performance to ensure compliance with “domestic” foods

• Require certification of domestic content of food components

• Other, describe: _______________________________________________________

• Don’t Know/Unsure

20. How does your district verify that the domestic commodity or product that was solicited and awarded is the food received?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• Identify people within the district responsible for receiving goods (specifically food) and services

• Examine goods (specifically food) or services, invoices, and documentation provided by contractor

• Request certification identifying the percent of U.S. content in supplied commercially procured foods

• Review applicable contractor certification records

• Review compliance reports

• Other, describe : ______________________________________________________

• Don’t Know/Unsure

11. Exception to Buy American Requirement for School Year 2020-2021

NOTE: This question is about the previous school year, 2020-2021

20. In previous School Year 2020-2021, did you ever determine that an exception to the Buy American requirement was needed for your school district?

• Yes

• No  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 1.23

1.22a. If yes, approximately how many? ________]

1.22b. What was the reason for the exception?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• The product was not produced or manufactured in the U.S. in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality

• Competitive bids showed the cost of the U.S. product was significantly higher than the non-domestic product

• Other, describe: ____________

12. Procurement Methods and Pricing for School Year 2021-2022

22. Please indicate the primary procurement and pricing method for foods purchased in the following food groups.

If you have only one vendor in a category, answer the question for that vendor. Otherwise, answers should reflect the vendor from which you expect to make the largest volume of purchases in each category during the current School Year 2021-2022.

Food group	Primary PROCUREMNT METHOD (DROP DOWN)	Primary PRICING METHOD (DROP DOWN)
Dairy products (fresh milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and other milk-related products; fresh eggs; substitute dairy products. Do not include ice cream).	Formal line item bids (Items individually priced.) Formal lump sum bids (Items priced in combination.) Request for proposal (RFP) Micropurchase Telephone bid/quote Sales representative visits Other, Describe:	Fixed price contract Fixed price with adjustment clause (e.g., increase based on specific condition such as inflation rate). Formula price (list plus fixed amount or percentage) Cost-based price Bid or quote price (not contract) Retail price Mutually accepted discount rate Other, describe:
Bread and bakery products (breads, rolls, buns, cakes, cookies, crackers, donuts. Do not include pretzels and snack cookies)	Same as above	Same as above
Fresh Produce (fresh fruits and vegetables including fresh-cut, i.e. chopped lettuce, salad mix, apple slices)	Same as above	Same as above
Canned and Staple foods (include canned fruits, vegetables, meat, staple foods such as flour, sugar, rice, cereal, and cooking oils)	Same as above	Same as above
Frozen Foods (frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen meats, frozen pizza, other frozen entrees or side dishes. Do not include ice cream)	Same as above	Same as above
Fresh Meats, poultry, and fish (do not include canned and frozen meats, poultry, and fish)	Same as above	Same as above
Snack Items (potato chips, pretzels, individual pack of cookies)	Same as above	Same as above
Ice Cream (ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt)	Same as above	Same as above
Other Beverages (water, fruit juice, and sparkling beverages)	Same as above	Same as above

13. Vendor Information for School Year 2021-2022

In the following questions “vendor” is defined as a seller of commercial products. Do not include vendors or distributors that only supply a product containing USDA Foods. Do include vendors that distribute both commercial products and those containing USDA Foods.

22. For each food type listed below, list the name of all vendors you currently purchase foods from in School Year 2021-2022 and provide the vendor name.

If you do not purchase foods from any vendors outside of the FSMC, check here. 

Programmer: Go to 2.1 if checked

Food Type	Number of Vendors from whom you purchase items	Vendor Name
Dairy products (fresh milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and other milk-related products; fresh eggs; substitute dairy products. Do not include ice cream).		[PROGRAMMER: Use the information in column 2 and collect information for the number of vendors listed for each food type] [PROGRAMMER: Allow for selecting vendor from those listed already. This will help reduce burden and make it easy to populate.]
Bread and bakery products (breads, rolls, buns, cakes, cookies, crackers, donuts. Do not include pretzels and snack cookies)
Fresh Produce (fresh fruits and vegetables including fresh-cut, i.e. chopped lettuce, salad mix, apple slices)
Canned and Staple foods (include canned fruits, vegetables, meat, staple foods such as flour, sugar, rice, cereal, and cooking oils)
Frozen Foods (frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen meats, frozen pizza, other frozen entrees or side dishes. Do not include ice cream)
Fresh Meats, poultry, and fish (do not include canned and frozen meats, poultry, and fish)
Snack Items (potato chips, pretzels, individual pack of cookies)
Ice Cream (ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt)
Other Beverages (water, fruit juice, and sparkling beverages)

2. Section 2. USDA Foods

   1. USDA Foods Entitlement for School Year 2021-2022

1. What is your USDA Foods entitlement for the current School Year 2021-2022? [Programmer: use different wording for SFAs in Kansas and any CASH/CLOC sites [SMS will be flagged]: What is the amount of your USDA cash-in-lieu of commodities entitlement for School Year 2021-2022?]

AMOUNT $__________

2. USDA Foods Entitlement for School Year 2020-2021

NOTE: Questions 2.2 and 2.3 pertain to the previous school year, 2020-2021.

2. Did you fully utilize your USDA Foods entitlement in the previous School Year 2020-2021? [Programmer: SKIP for SFAs in Kansas and any CASH/CLOC sites]

 YES

• NO

3. What percentage of your USDA Foods entitlement for the previous School Year 2020-2021 was spent on processed end products containing USDA Foods as ingredients? If the percentage you provide is an estimate please check () the box. [Programmer: SKIP for SFAs in Kansas and any CASH/CLOC sites]

	_______________%
Please check if the percentage provided is an estimate	

3. Fresh Produce from the USDA Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program in School Year 2021-2022

4. Do you apply any of your USDA Foods entitlement towards the acquisition of fresh produce from the USDA DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program? [Programmer: SKIP for SFAs in Kansas and any CASH/CLOC sites]

 YES

NO  GO TO QUESTION 2.7

5. How do the prices of fresh produce from USDA DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program compare to commercial products?

• Lower prices than commercial produce

• Comparable to prices for commercial produce

• Higher prices than commercial produce

6. How does the quality of fresh produce from USDA DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program compare to commercial produce?

• Lower quality than commercial produce

• Comparable to commercial produce quality

• Higher quality than commercial produce

4. Receipt of USDA Foods in School Year 2021-2022

2.7. How do USDA Foods reach your school district?	SELECT ALL THAT APPLY
Commercial foodservice distributor, WITH commercial products Programmer: display only if commercial food distributor is selected Name of Distributor: ___________________________ Are USDA Foods clearly marked on the invoice or summary? YES NO	
Commercial foodservice distributor, SEPARATE from commercial products	
Commercial foodservice processor, WITH commercial products Programmer: display only if commercial food service processor is selected Name of Processor: ___________________________ Are USDA Foods clearly marked on the invoice or summary? YES NO	
Commercial foodservice processor, SEPARATE from commercial products	
Direct shipped by USDA vendor(s)	
Delivery from a State warehouse or State-contracted warehouse	
School district pick-up	
Other, describe: ______________________________________________	

5. Fees for USDA Foods in School Year 2021-2022

2.8. Does your school district pay fees to the State Distributing Agency for the warehousing, distribution, and/or delivery of USDA Foods?

• Yes

• No  Programmer: GO TO QUESTION 2.9

1. What is the basis for the fee?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• Pounds of direct delivery, processed end product and/or commercial product the district sends through the State warehouse

• Cases of direct delivery, processed end product and/or commercial product the district sends through the State warehouse

• School district meal counts

• Other method, describe: __________________

• Don’t know

2. Do the fees charged vary based on any of the following?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• Region of the State

• Type of storage (i.e., freezer, cooler or dry)

• “Dwell time” permitted to withdraw USDA Foods from the State warehouse or distributor

• Other, describe: ________________

• Fees charged do NOT vary

6. Processing Agreements and Value-Pass-Through Methods for USDA Foods in School Year 2021-2022

2.9. Which of the following types of agreements govern the processing of end products containing USDA Foods as ingredients in your district?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• National Processing Agreement

• In-State Processing Agreement

• Local (School District) Agreement

• The district does not divert USDA Foods to obtain processed end products containing USDA Foods as ingredients.

2.10 Which value-pass-through methods does your school district use to obtain credit for the value of the USDA Foods in processed end products?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• Indirect discount also known as net off invoice (NOI)

• Direct discount

• Rebate or refund

• Fee-for-service (including direct shipment and invoicing from the processor to the recipient agency, fee-for-service through a distributor and modified fee-for-service, when the recipient agency has an authorized agent bill them for the total case price)

• Don’t know/Unsure

Programmer: ‘Don’t know/Unsure’ cannot be allowed if any other options are selected.

7. Use of USDA Foods in School Breakfasts in School Year 2021-2022

11. Does your school district use USDA Foods in school breakfasts?

• Yes

• No  GO TO QUESTION 3.1

1. Are the USDA Foods in school breakfast:

• Direct delivered USDA Foods

• Processed end products containing USDA Foods

• Both

2. Which of the following categories of USDA Foods are used in your breakfasts?

Please include both direct delivered USDA Foods and processed end products containing USDA Foods as ingredients

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY:

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Beef Products

• Pork Products

• Poultry Products

• Legumes

• Nuts and Seeds

• Egg Products

• Fish Products

• Yogurt

• Cheese

• Oils

• Grains

3. Section 3: School District (SFA) Characteristics

   1. Number of Schools in the District in School Year, 2021-2022

3.1. How many elementary, middle/secondary, and other schools are in your district in school year 2021-2022?

If your district does not have a given type of school, enter 0, please do not leave it blank.

Type of school	Number of Schools	Number that operate on a year-round school calendar
Elementary (any school that has a pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten or Grade 1 or Grade 2 or Grade 3, and no class higher than Grade 6)		Programmer: count should not exceed the number of schools listed in prior column.
Middle/secondary (any school that has no grade lower than Grade 6).
Other (any school that does not meet the definition of elementary and middle/secondary school. E.g., a school with grades K-12).
All school types combined Programmer: Auto-fill based on count reported for all school types

2. Number of Schools Participating in NSLP and SBP in School Year 2021-2022

PROGRAMMER: DISPLAY ONLY types of schools indicated above. E.g., if they do not have “other” schools, skip question 3.2c on this screen.

3.2. For each type of school in your district, please enter the number participating in NSLP and SBP during the current School Year 2021-2022.

3.2a. How many of the <TOTAL COUNT FROM 3.1> elementary schools participate in:

Programmer: Error if any of the individual rows is higher than the total number of schools of the type entered in 3.1

NSLP only	__________________
SBP only	__________________
Both NSLP and SBP	__________________
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)	__________________
How many of the elementary schools are severe need schools?	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the subtotal of the rows above or the total number of elementary schools reported in 3.1

Programmer: the count for each should not exceed the total count for that school type. The total, excluding ‘severe need schools’, should not exceed the total number in 3.1

3.2b. How many of the <TOTAL COUNT FROM 3.1> middle/secondary schools participate in:

NSLP only	__________________
SBP only	__________________
Both NSLP and SBP	__________________
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)	__________________
How many of the middle/secondary schools are severe need schools?	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the subtotal of the rows above or the total number of elementary schools reported in 3.1

3.2c. How many of the <TOTAL COUNT FROM 3.1> other schools participate in:

NSLP only	__________________
SBP only	__________________
Both NSLP and SBP	__________________
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)	__________________
How many of the other schools are severe need schools?	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the subtotal of the rows above or the total number of elementary schools reported in 3.1

3.2d. Please review the totals and revise counts for elementary, middle/secondary, other schools above if needed.

Programmer: auto compute the total counts by summing the counts across all school types.

E.g. NSLP only = sum (elementary, middle/secondary/other). This is not an editable field.

NSLP only	__________________
SBP only	__________________
Both NSLP and SBP	__________________
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)	__________________
How many of the other schools are severe need schools?	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the subtotal of the rows above or the total number of elementary schools reported in 3.1

3. Student Enrollment in School Year 2021-2022

3.3. For each type of school in your district, indicate total student enrollment and average daily attendance as of October 31, 2021.

PROGRAMMER: DISPLAY ONLY types of schools indicated above. E.g., if they do not have other schools, skip question 3.3c.

3.3a. Elementary schools

Total Student Enrollment in elementary schools	__________________
Student enrollment in elementary schools with a year-round school calendar	Programmer: Error if 3.1 ‘number of schools with a year-round calendar = 0
Student enrollment in elementary schools with Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)	Programmer: Error if 3.2a number of CEP schools = 0
Average daily attendance in elementary schools	__________________

3.3b. Middle/secondary schools

Total Student Enrollment in middle/secondary schools	__________________
Student enrollment in middle/secondary schools with a year-round school calendar	Programmer: Error if 3.1b ‘number of schools with a year-round calendar = 0
Student enrollment in middle/secondary schools with Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)	Programmer: Error if 3.2 b number of CEP schools = 0
Average daily attendance in middle/secondary schools	__________________

3.3c. Other schools

Total Student Enrollment in other schools	__________________
Student enrollment in other schools with a year-round school calendar	__________________
Student enrollment in other schools with Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)	__________________
Average daily attendance in middle/secondary schools	__________________

3.3d. Please review the totals and revise counts for elementary, middle/secondary, other schools above if needed.

Programmer: auto compute the total counts by summing the counts across all school types. This is not an editable field.

Total Student Enrollment	__________________
Student enrollment in schools with a year-round school calendar	__________________
Student enrollment in schools with Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)	__________________
Average daily attendance in all schools	__________________

4. Students with No Access to School Lunch or Breakfast in School Year 2021-2022

3.4. Do any of the students included in “Total Student Enrollment” not have access to school lunches or school breakfasts (e.g., Kindergarteners who are not in school at meal time)?

 YES

NO Programmer: GO TO 3.5

3.4a. If YES, indicate number of students who do not have access for each school type. Enter 0 if all students have access in a given school type. Please do not leave it blank.

Type of School	Number of students who do not have access to school lunch or school breakfast
Elementary
Middle/Secondary
Other
All school types combined	Programmer: auto compute based on count reported above.

5. Students Approved to Receive School Lunch and School Breakfast in School Year 2021-2022

3.5. For each type of school in your district indicate the number of enrolled students approved to receive free or reduced price meals.

PROGRAMMER: DISPLAY ONLY types of schools indicated above. E.G. If they do not have other schools, do not display the ‘Other’ row.

Type of School	Number of Students approved to receive reduced price meals	Number of Students approved to receive free meals
Elementary	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the total number of students for the type of school in 3.3a	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the total number of students for the type of school in 3.3a
Middle/Secondary	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the total number of students for the type of school in 3.3b	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the total number of students for the type of school in 3.3b
Other	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the total number of students for the type of school in 3.3c	Programmer: Error if number is higher than the total number of students for the type of school in 3.3c
All school types combined	Programmer: auto compute based on count reported above. Error if higher than the total number of students for the type of school in 3.3	Programmer: auto compute based on count reported above. Error if higher than the total number of students for the type of school in 3.3

6. Meal Prices for School Year 2021-2022

3.6. As of October 31, 2021, what prices were charged to students for full price and for reduced price lunches and breakfasts in your school district by type of school?

Programmer: Display 3.6c only if other schools are indicated in 3.1.

• All lunches in the district are served free to students

• All breakfasts in the district are served free to students

Programmer: skip full and reduced price lunch questions for all school types if all lunches in the district are served free to students is checked.

Similarly, skip full and reduced price breakfast questions for all school types if all breakfasts in the district are served free to students is checked.

If both boxes are checked go to 3.7

3.6a. Elementary Schools

Full Price Meals		Full Price		Share (percent) of Full Price Meals at this price
If your district has more than one charge for full price meals, use the rows below to indicate the share of meals sold at each price
Full price lunch		$		%
		$		%
		$		%
				100%
Full price breakfast		$		%
		$		%
		$		%
				100%
Reduced price meals		Reduced price
Reduced price lunch		$
Reduced price breakfast		$

2021-2022 School Meal Prices

3.6b. Middle/Secondary Schools

Full Price Meals		Full Price		Share (percent) of Full Price Meals at this price
If your district has more than one charge for full price meals, use the rows below to indicate the share of meals sold at each price
Full price lunch		$		%
		$		%
		$		%
				100%
Full price breakfast		$		%
		$		%
		$		%
				100%
Reduced price meals		Reduced price
Reduced price lunch		$
Reduced price breakfast		$

3.6c. Other Schools

Full Price Meals		Full Price		Share (percent) of Full Price Meals at this price
If your district has more than one charge for full price meals, use the rows below to indicate the share of meals sold at each price
Full price lunch		$		%
		$		%
		$		%
				100%
Full price breakfast		$		%
		$		%
		$		%
				100%
Reduced price meals		Reduced price
Reduced price lunch		$
Reduced price breakfast		$

7. Kitchen Types in School Year 2021-2022

7. How many of each of the following types of kitchens does your school district currently operate?

If your school district does not have a given kitchen type, please enter 0, do not leave it blank.

No kitchens, all meals are provided by a food service management company/vended.



Go to QUESTION 3.8

Kitchen Type		Number of kitchens
Central kitchens where meals are prepared for serving at receiving or satellite schools. No student meals are served on-site at a central kitchen.
Base kitchen where meals are prepared for serving on-site and for shipment to other locations (including multiple locations within the same school).
Receiving or satellite kitchens which obtain partially or fully prepared meals from base or central kitchens or an outside vendor. Other than re-heating or refrigeration, no food preparation occurs at a satellite kitchen
Combination kitchens in which some food is prepared for on-site consumption and some food is received fully or partially prepared from a central or base kitchen. This includes self-prep basic/central kitchen and self-prep bulk/satellite kitchen.
On-site kitchens where all meals served are prepared at the facility in which the kitchen is located. This includes self-prep on site.
Other, describe: ________________________________
Total number of kitchens:

Programmer: AUTO COMPUTE TOTAL NUMBER OF KITCHENS AND ASK FOR VALIDATION

8. Food Service Options at Schools in School Year 2021-2022

7. How many schools in your school district currently offer the following options to your students?

Please enter 0 if the option is not offered at schools in your district. Do not leave it blank.

Programmer: Display the ‘Other’ column only if other schools are indicated in 3.1c

Programmer: Auto compute count in the final column “TOTAL”.

			Number of Schools
			Elementary				Middle/Secondary		Other		Total
A la carte items during breakfast
A la carte items during lunch
Choice of NSLP entrees
Offer vs. serve
Open campus at lunch time
Vending machines
Snack bar and/or school store selling food
Electronic payment methods
Free fresh fruit or vegetables (not Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program)
Breakfast in the classroom
Grab-and-go breakfasts
Breakfast after the bell

9. Other Food Programs Served in School Year 2021-2022

7. Some school districts use their facilities to prepare foods for purposes other than breakfasts and lunches for students in their school system. Please indicate which, if any, of these programs/purposes you provide food to.

Please select NONE if your district does not provide food to any other program/purpose.

	SELECT ALL THAT APPLY
Head Start	
Elderly Nutrition Program	
Child and Adult Care Food Program	
NSLP Afterschool Snack Service	
CACFP Afterschool Snack/Supper Program	
Summer Food Service Program	
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program	
Other schools or school systems	
Disaster Feeding	
Seamless Summer Option	
Other,describe: ______________________	
School staff meals	
School related events (e.g. athletic events, PTA meetings)	
Public catering	
Other day care	
Other, describe: ______________________	
None Programmer: do not allow if any one of the above is selected.	

Programmer: display 3.10 only if response to 1.18 is YES

7. How many schools offer branded products from national fast food restaurant chains (e.g. subway, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, etc.) in your food service operation?

Elementary: ___________

Middle/secondary ______________

Other _______________

Total ______________________Programmer: auto compute total

4. Section 4: IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON PROCUREMENT PRACTICES

The following questions are about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on your procurement practices. Please answer these questions based on times when COVID-19 waivers were in effect in your SFA.

4.1. The market disruptions due to COVID-19:

• Had no impact on your bid processes

• Adversely affected your bid processes but your district was able to work through the problems easily

• Adversely affected your bid processes but your district was able to work through the problems over time

• Adversely affected your bid processes and your district was unable to resolve the problems

• Don’t know

4.2 To address food needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, what procurement methods did you use to purchase new food items (that were not served previously)? (Select all that apply.)

• Emergency contract (noncompetitive procurement flexibilities)

• Micro-purchase method

• Small purchase procedures

• Sealed bid or competitive proposal

• Did not procure items that were not normally served

• Don’t know

4.3 How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect food purchases from local farmers? (Select one response.)

• Purchased less foods from local farmers

• Purchased more foods from local farmers

• No change in the foods purchased from local farmers

• Do not purchase foods from local farmers

4.4. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your food cost, labor cost, and other operating costs?

	Significantly increased	Increased	Stayed the same	Decreased	Significantly decreased	Don’t know
Food cost
Labor cost
Other cost

IF FOOD COST IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED/INCREASED OR DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY/DECREASED:

4.5a Which of the following reasons led to a change in food cost? (Select all that apply.)

• Change in types of foods purchased

• Change in the amount of (specific) food items purchased

• Change in the form of food purchased (switched to different form or to multiple forms for the same product – e.g. bulk, individually wrapped, FFVP produce, etc.)

• Don’t know

• Other, specify: _____________________________

IF LABOR COST IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED/INCREASED:

4.5b Which of the following reasons led to an increase in labor cost? (Select all that apply.)

• New hires

• Overtime hours

• Longer or more hours than usual

• Meal delivery

• Don’t know

• Other, specify: _____________________________

IF LABOR COST IS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED/DECREASED:

4.5c Which of the following reasons led to a decrease in labor cost? (Select all that apply.)

• Lay-offs

• Reduced hours

• Change in meal service method

• Don’t know

• Other, specify: _____________________________

IF OTHER COST IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED/INCREASED:

4.5d. Which of the following reasons led to an increase in other costs? (Select all that apply.)

• Increased storage and/or warehousing costs

• Increased distribution and/or delivery costs

• Don’t know

• Other, specify: _____________________________

IF OTHER COST IS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREAED OR DECREASED:

4.5e. Which of the following reasons led to a decrease in other costs? (Select all that apply.)

• Decreased storage and/or warehousing costs

• Decreased distribution and/or delivery costs

• Don’t know

• Other, specify: _____________________________

4.6 Which of the following foods did you offer to participants in bulk form, to cover multiple meals across the week? (Select all that apply.)

• Grain and grain products

• Legumes

• Nuts

• Honey

• Fruit

• Vegetables

• Meat and poultry

• Seafood

• Dairy products

• None

4.7 Thinking about your experiences with food purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic, what types of flexibilities might allow you to improve the procurement process in the event of market disruptions or emergencies?

Comments

4.8.Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your school district’s food procurement practices?

Thank you very much for completing the USDA’s School Food Purchase Study-IV Procurement Practices Survey.

1. BREAKOFF MESSAGE:

Thank you. The responses you have provided so far have been saved and when resumed, the survey will start from where it was left off.

CROSSWALK WITH SFPS-III SURVEY

Previously approved survey question	Current (SFPS-IV) survey question	Status in current approval request
Mode	Mode	Changed from paper to web survey.
Various	Various	Updated date ranges to reflect prior school year as SY 2019-2020 and current school year as SY 2021-2022.
Various	Various	Updated terminology to reference “nonprogram foods” when discussing a la carte foods.
Various	Various	Updated terminology to reference “USDA Foods” instead of “USDA donated foods/commodities.”
N/A	1.1a, 1.23	Added questions to obtain names of food service management company (if applicable) and food vendors to assist in quality checks on food purchase data submitted by district.
N/A	1.20-1.22	Added questions: Buy American compliance, verification, and exceptions.
2.7	1.4	Added response option for “meets food safety requirements” to vendor selection criteria factors.
4.6	1.5	Added response option for “access to online reports” to vendor services offered.
2.9	1.15-1.16	Changed “locally grown produce” to “locally grown products.”
N/A	2.8	Added question: distributing fees for USDA Foods.
N/A	2.9	Added question: types of USDA Foods processing agreements.
N/A	2.10	Added question: USDA Foods value pass-through methods.
N/A	2.11	Added question: use of USDA Foods in school breakfasts.
1.1, 1.2	3.2, 3.3	Number of schools and enrollment by type of school: added Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
1.6	3.8	Added response options to capture breakfast service models.
1.7	3.9	Broke “afterschool snack program” into two response options, for CACFP and NSLP afterschool programs.
1.3	N/A	Deleted questions (number of serving days/number of meals served in prior school year).
1.5	N/A	Deleted questions ($ revenue from a la carte foods from prior school year) to reduce burden. Not needed for current study.
1.8	N/A	Deleted question (other food program sales ($) from prior school year) to reduce burden. Not needed for current study.
1.9	N/A	Deleted question (total food expenditures ($) from prior school year) to reduce burden. Not needed for current study.
1.10	N/A	Deleted question (number of schools using menu planning options). Obsolete.
2.6	N/A	Deleted question (level of ordering) to reduce burden. Covered sufficiently by level of purchasing question.
2.13	N/A	Deleted question (importance of factors in purchasing local produce) to reduce burden.
2.14	N/A	Deleted question (premium on local food purchases) to reduce burden.
3.2	N/A	Deleted two sub-questions on direct orders from the Department of Defense. Obsolete.
3.4	N/A	Deleted question (open-ended question on preference for whole grain products in USDA Foods program), as these are now offered.
3.5	N/A	Deleted question (open-ended suggestions for improving USDA Foods) to reduce burden.
N/A	Section 4, COVID-19 module	Added seven new questions to understand the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on procurement practices.

1

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting this study to obtain updated national estimates of food acquisitions and a description and analysis of food purchase practices of school districts participating in the Federally supported school meal programs. The estimates will provide information on the type, volume and source of foods acquired, the relative importance of USDA Foods, and changes in food composition and cost over time. Participation in this study by individuals is voluntary and the information collected will be used to understand school meal program trends and practices associated with food buying efficiency. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 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 0584-0471. The time required to provide this information collection is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-0471).