Appendix F.1 School Food Authority Director Survey School Year 2023 2024

Appendix F.1
School Food Authority Director Survey School Year 2023–2024

OMB Clearance Number: 0584-0607

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

School Food Authority (SFA) Director Survey

School Year 2023–2024

FINAL

April 6, 2023

Sponsored by:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is collecting this information to understand how State agencies and school food authorities operated CN Programs in SY 2022-2023 and to satisfy the State agencies’ congressionally mandated reporting requirements for the COVID-19 nationwide waivers pursuant to section 2202 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127). This is a mandatory collection for State agencies and SFAs. FNS will use the information to assess how the waivers improved services to children and to inform FNS’s planning, policy, and guidance related to state and local meal service operations. Because the personally identifiable information (PII) requested under this collection will not be used to retrieve survey records or data, requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974 do not apply. Responses will be kept private to the extent provided by law and FNS regulations. 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 0584-0607. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing 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, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314, ATTN: PRA (0584-0607). Do not return the completed form to this address.

OMB Clearance Number: 0584-0607

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

Introduction

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has contracted with Mathematica to conduct the School Meals Operations (SMO) Study. Updated information about school-based Child Nutrition (CN) Programs will help FNS effectively oversee these programs and inform both policy decisions and future training and technical assistance.

The survey topics cover School Year (SY) 2022-2023 and include:

• School participation

• State-provided universal free meals

• Eligibility determination and verification

• Meal prices

• Funding and expenditures

Preparation note: You will be asked to report the total amount of money owed to your SFA because of unpaid meal charges and the amount that has been recovered since the end of SY 2022-2023.

• Procurement and Buy American

Preparation note: You will be asked to report the percentage of food procurements that were not domestic commodities or products during SY 2022-2023.

• Meal preparation and service

Cooperation by States and districts is required under Section 28 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. At the same time, recognizing the administrative effort associated with participating in research studies, SMO has been designed to limit participant burden to the extent possible. It should take about 30 minutes to complete the survey.

To avoid redundant information requests, the survey focuses only on questions that cannot be answered with administrative data you have already reported to your State agency on CN program participation. The study team will receive those data from your State agency.

All information collected for this study is for research purposes only and will be kept private to the full extent allowed by law. Personally identifiable information (PII) will not be used to retrieve survey records or data.

We thank you in advance for your time and cooperation in this important study. If you have any questions about the study or about completing this survey, please email [email protected] or call Mathematica toll-free at 833-440-9475.

Instructions for Completing the Survey

• You may use this link to view a PDF version of the full data collection instrument. Note that this does not include the display logic so you may see questions that do not apply to your school food authority. This is available for informational purposes only; you will need to enter your responses in the web survey.

• If you need a colleague to complete a section of the survey, you should forward them the email with the link to the survey. They do not need a separate link.

• Avoid having multiple people logged into the survey at once. Responses may not be recorded correctly if multiple users are logged into the survey at the same time.

• If you or a colleague are returning to finish your saved survey, the program will return to the point where you left off.

• This survey has been optimized to run on a desktop computer and is best viewed in the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

• Click the "Next” button to progress in the survey. You must click this button to save your responses. If you cannot complete the survey in one sitting, click the “Next” button before you close your browser. Your answers will be saved.

• Click the "Back" button to go to the previous question.

• Use the buttons and links within the survey. Using your browser’s “Back” function may cause errors.

• Definitions for key terms are provided in the glossary located on the “Help” page. As you complete the survey, you may return to this page at any point via the “Help” link in the lower left corner of the window.

• If you have any questions about the study or about completing this survey, please email [email protected] or call Mathematica toll-free at 833-440-9475.

Contact Information

Before starting the survey, please fill in the contact information below. If the information below is prefilled, please review and update it as necessary.

Please fill in the contact information for the School Food Authority Director below. If you are not the SFA Director, you will be able to enter your contact information on the next page. (Update where necessary)

[PROGRAMMER PRE-FILL SFA DIRECTOR INFORMATION]

First name:

Last name:

Street address 1:

Street address 2:

City:

State:

Zip:

Phone number: Ext.

Email:

If you are not the School Food Authority Director, please fill in your name and contact information:

First name:

Last name:

Job title:

Street address 1:

Street address 2:

City:

State:

Zip:

Phone number: Ext.

Email:

Glossary

PROGRAMMER: INCLUDE A LINK FOR THE HELP PAGE IN LOWER LEFT CORNER OF EVERY PAGE. DISPLAY GLOSSARY, WITH INSTRUCTIONS PAGE BELOW IT.

Glossary

Buy American provision: School food authorities (SFAs) in the continental United States are required to purchase, to the maximum extent practical, domestic commodities or products. A domestic commodity or product is defined as an agricultural commodity that is produced in the United States and a food product that is processed in the United States substantially using agricultural commodities produced in the United States and territories.

Elementary Schools: Schools with students in any span of grades from prekindergarten through grade 6.

Middle Schools: Schools with students in any span of grades from 6 through 9.

High Schools: Schools with students in any span of grades from 9 through 12.

Other schools: Schools that do not meet the elementary, middle, or high school definitions, such as 6-12, K-8, or K-12/K-13.

Keep Kids Fed Act (KKFA) of 2022: Provided funding for and made changes to school meal programs and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). For the school year beginning in July 2022, the bill increased the reimbursement rate for school lunches by 40 cents and for school breakfasts by 15 cents, and the bill increased the reimbursement rate for meals and snacks under the CACFP by 10 cents.

Paid Lunch Equity provision: SFAs participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) with a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account are required to increase the prices charged for paid meals until their weighted average lunch prices meet the difference between Federal reimbursements for free and paid lunches.

School food authority (SFA): The governing body that has the legal authority to operate a lunch or breakfast program in one or more public or private schools.

Scratch-based food preparation: Produces meal components from whole or minimally processed basic ingredients, often using a recipe.

Speed-scratch food preparation: Produces meal components using some processed ingredients in an otherwise scratch-based food preparation, such as premade pizza dough, shredded cheese, canned pizza sauce, and pre-cut vegetables.

A. SCHOOL PARTICIPATION

all

A_Intro This section focuses on the Child Nutrition Programs your school food authority (SFA) used to provide meal service during school year (SY) 2022–2023. SY 2022-2023 is July 2022 through June 2023.

all

The following are school levels that your SFA might have:

• Elementary schools with students in any span of grades from prekindergarten through grade 6

• Middle or junior high schools with students in any span of grades from 6 through 9

• High schools with students in any span of grades from 9 through 12

• Other schools that do not meet the elementary, middle, or high school definitions, such as 6–12, K–8, or K–12/K–13

A1. Does your SFA have elementary, middle, high, or other schools?

Select all that apply

 Elementary schools 1

 Middle schools 2

 High schools 3

 Other schools: (Specify grade levels) 4

NO RESPONSE M

all

A2. During SY 2022–2023, for which school levels did your SFA use the following Child Nutrition Programs to provide meal service?

PROGRAMMER: SHOW ONLY THE SCHOOL LEVELS SELECTED IN A1.

Select all that applied at any point during SY 2022-2023:	[A1_1=1] Elementary	[A1_2=1] Middle	[A1_3=1] High	[A1_4=1] Other	Did not use	Don’t know
a. National School Lunch Program (NSLP)	1 	2 	3 	4 	0 	d 
b. School Breakfast Program (SBP)	1 	2 	3 	4 	0 	d 

NO RESPONSE M

B. STATE-PROVIDED UNIVERSAL FREE MEALS

IF STATE= CA, MA, ME, NV, VT

B_Intro. The next few questions are about State-provided universal free meals. Some States recently enacted legislation which requires school breakfasts and lunches to be provided at no cost to all children in the State.

B1. Did your SFA elect or continue operating any of the following provisions in SY 2022-2023?

 Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) 1

 Provision 2 or 3 2 SKIP TO B3

 None 0 SKIP TO B4

 Don’t know d SKIP TO C_INTRO

NO RESPONSE M

IF B1=1

B2. Was the decision to elect or continue operating CEP made as a result of your new State legislation?

 Yes, elected CEP as a result of new State legislation 1

 Yes, continued to operate CEP as a result of new State legislation 2

 No, new State legislation had no impact on decision to operate CEP 0

 Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

IF B1=2

B3. Was the decision to elect or continue operating Provision 2 or 3 made as a result of your new State legislation?

 Yes, elected Provision 2 or 3 as a result of new State legislation 1

 Yes, continued to operate Provision 2 or 3 as a result of new State legislation 2

m No, new State legislation had no impact on decision to operate Provision 2 or 3 0

 Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

IF B1=2 or 0

B4. Was your SFA eligible to elect CEP in SY 2022-2023?

 Yes 1

m No 0

 Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

C. ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION AND VERIFICATION

all

C_Intro This section is about your SFA’s practices related to certification for free and reduced price school meals and verification during SY 2022-2023.

all

C1. Did your SFA collect household applications to certify children for free and reduced price school meals in SY 2022-2023?

m Yes 1

m No 0 SKIP TO D_Intro

NO RESPONSE M

C1=1

C2. Was the application your SFA used for free or reduced price school meals in SY 2022-2023 based on the USDA online application?

m Yes 1

m No 0

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

C1=1

C3. Did your SFA use the following household application formats for free or reduced price school meals in SY 2022-2023?

	Select one per row
	YES	NO
a. Electronic or web-based application	1 m	0 m
b. Computer-read or scannable paper application	1 m	0 m
c. Manually reviewed and entered paper application	1 m	0 m
d. Other household application format	1 m	0 m

NO RESPONSE M

IF MULTIPLE RESPONSES =1 IN C3

C4. Which format of household applications for free or reduced price school meals was used most often in your SFA for SY 2022-2023? Please order the application formats from most used to least used, with one being the most used.

PROGRAMMER: DISPLAY RESPONSES SELECTED IN C3

Electronic or web-based application

Computer-read or scannable paper application

Manually reviewed and entered paper application

Other household application format

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

D. MEAL PRICES

all

D_Intro This section is about your SFA’s practices related to meal prices during SY 2022-2023.

STATE=/= CA, MA, ME, NV, VT

D1. Do all schools in your SFA serve all school meals at no charge to students?

m Yes 1 SKIP TO E_Intro

m No 0

NO RESPONSE M

D1=0 and a2b=1, 2, 3, or 4

For these questions, please record your responses separately by school level.

• Elementary schools are schools with students in any span of grades from prekindergarten through grade 6.

• Middle schools are schools with students in any span of grades from 6 through 9.

• High schools are schools with students in any span of grades from 9 through 12

• Other schools are schools that do not meet the elementary, middle or junior high, or high school definitions, such as 6-12, K-8, or K-12/K-13.

D2. In schools that charge for SBP breakfasts, what was the average price charged for paid breakfasts in your SFA during SY 2022-2023? Please exclude $0 meal prices from average price calculations.

If breakfasts were served free of charge to all students in a school level, please select the appropriate box.

If the price of paid breakfasts changed during the school year, please report the price charged for the majority of the school year.

PROGRAMMER: ONLY DISPLAY SCHOOL LEVELS SELECTED IN A1.

	ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS	MIDDLE SCHOOLS	HIGH SCHOOLS	OTHER SCHOOLS
a. Paid breakfast price	$	$	$	$
b. Not applicable – Breakfasts were served free of charge to all students	1 m	1 m	1 m	1 m

NO RESPONSE M

D1=0 and a2b=1, 2, 3, or 4 AND D2A, B, C, OR D>0

D3. In schools that charge for SBP breakfasts, what was the average price charged for reduced price breakfasts in your SFA during SY 2022-2023? Please exclude $0 meal prices from average price calculations.

If breakfasts were served free of charge to students certified for reduced price meals, please select the appropriate box.

If the price of reduced price breakfasts changed during the school year, please report the price charged for the majority of the school year.

PROGRAMMER: ONLY DISPLAY SCHOOL LEVELS SELECTED IN A1. IF D2B=1 FOR A SCHOOL LEVEL, DO NOT DISPLAY THAT COLUMN.

	ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS	MIDDLE SCHOOLS	HIGH SCHOOLS	OTHER SCHOOLS
a. Reduced price breakfast	$	$	$	$
b. Not applicable – Breakfasts were served free of charge to students certified for reduced price meals	1 m	1 m	1 m	1 m

NO RESPONSE M

D1=0 and a2a=1, 2, 3, or 4

D4. In schools that charge for NSLP lunches, what was the average price charged for paid lunches in your SFA during SY 2022-2023? Please exclude $0 meal prices from average price calculations.

If lunches were served free of charge to all students in a school level, please select the appropriate box.

If the price of paid lunches changed during the school year, please report the price charged for the majority of the school year.

PROGRAMMER: ONLY DISPLAY SCHOOL LEVELS SELECTED IN A1.

	ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS	MIDDLE SCHOOLS	HIGH SCHOOLS	OTHER SCHOOLS
a. Paid lunch price	$	$	$	$
b. Not applicable – Lunches were served free of charge to all students	1 m	1 m	1 m	1 m

NO RESPONSE M

D1=0 and a2a=1, 2, 3, or 4 AND D4A, B, C, OR D>0

D5. In schools that charge for NSLP lunches, what was the average price charged for reduced price lunches in your SFA at the beginning of SY 2022-2023? Please exclude $0 meal prices from average price calculations.

If lunches were served free of charge to students certified for reduced price meals, please select the appropriate box.

If the price of reduced price lunches changed during the school year, please report the price charged for the majority of the school year.

PROGRAMMER: ONLY DISPLAY SCHOOL LEVELS SELECTED IN A1. IF D4B=1 FOR A SCHOOL LEVEL, DO NOT DISPLAY THAT COLUMN.

	ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS	MIDDLE SCHOOLS	HIGH SCHOOLS	OTHER SCHOOLS
a. Reduced price lunch	$	$	$	$
b. Not applicable – Lunches were served free of charge to students certified for reduced price meals	1 m	1 m	1 m	1 m

NO RESPONSE M

D1= 0

The next questions are about the Paid Lunch Equity provision.

D6. The Paid Lunch Equity rule requires SFAs participating in the NSLP to provide the same level of financial support for lunches served to students who are not eligible for free or reduced price lunches as is provided for lunches served to students eligible for free lunches. SFAs participating in the NSLP with a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account are required to increase the prices charged for paid meals until their weighted average lunch prices meet the difference between Federal reimbursements for free and paid lunches.

FNS recognizes that during SY 2022-2023, requiring SFAs to increase their paid meal prices could place a burden upon families who have not paid for meals over the last two school years. FNS offered States a waiver to allow SFAs flexibility in meeting the Paid Lunch Equity requirements in SY 2022-2023. Your State may have elected to use this waiver.

During SY 2022-2023, what actions did your SFA take in response to the Paid Lunch Equity provision in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010?

Select all that apply

o Increased paid lunch prices in all schools 1

o Increased paid lunch prices in some schools 2

o Added funds from non-Federal sources to the nonprofit school food services account 3

m Used the Paid Lunch Equity waiver for SY 2022-2023 4

m No action taken – Paid lunch pricing already complied with provision 5

m No action taken – Operating balance was positive 6

m Don’t know d

o Other (Specify) 99

NO RESPONSE M

D1= 0

D7. In SY 2022-2023, did your SFA lower prices for paid meals in any schools compared to prices charged prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (in SY 2019-2020)?

m Yes 1

m No 0 SKIP TO E_Intro

m Don’t know d SKIP TO E_Intro

NO RESPONSE M

D7=1

D8. In which school levels were prices lowered?

PROGRAMMER: INCLUDE HOVER TEXT DEFINITIONS FOR EACH SCHOOL LEVEL.

Select all that apply

 Elementary schools 1

 Middle schools 2

 High schools 3

 Other schools: (Specify grade spans) 4

NO RESPONSE M

E. FUNDING AND EXPENDITURES

all

E_Intro This section focuses on your SFA’s funding and expenditures during SY 2022-2023.

all

E1. How did the additional per meal reimbursements from the Keep Kids Fed Act (KKFA) of 2022 impact your SFA’s finances during SY 2022-2023? Please consider how the reimbursements helped cover meal costs.

m No impact on finances 1

m Slightly improved finances 2

m Moderately improved finances 3

m Substantially improved finances 4

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

all

E2. To assist school districts experiencing supply chain disruptions, FNS allocated relief funding to State agencies called Supply Chain Assistance Funds. State agencies distributed Supply Chain Assistance funds to eligible SFAs to be used exclusively to procure unprocessed or minimally processed domestic food products or commodities. The funds were to help SFAs deal with challenges such as unanticipated cancellation of food and supply contracts, reduced availability of certain foods, unexpected substitution of certain products, unpredictable increases in food and supply prices, or other obstacles related to pricing and/or availability.

Did your SFA receive Supply Chain Assistance Funds in SY 2022-2023?

m Yes 1

m No 0 SKIP TO E4

m Don’t know d SKIP TO E4

NO RESPONSE M

e2=1

E3. In SY 2022-2023, which of the following food products did your SFA purchase with Supply Chain Assistance funds?

Select all that apply

 Fluid milk 1

 Other dairy foods 2

 Fruits 3

 Vegetables 4

 Grains 5

 Meats or meat alternates 6

 Local foods 7

 Other: (Specify) 99

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

all

E4. FNS provides Equipment Assistance Grants to State agencies on an annual basis, which they can award competitively to eligible SFAs. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, FNS provided additional Equipment Assistance Grant funds in recognition of supply chain challenges.

Did your SFA receive any Equipment Assistance Grants in SY 2022-2023?

m Yes 1

m No 0 SKIP TO E7

m Don’t know d SKIP TO E7

NO RESPONSE M

E4=1

E5. Did the equipment procured using the Equipment Assistance Grants allow your SFA to replace equipment, increase capacity, or acquire new equipment?

Select all that apply

 Replace aging or broken equipment 1

 Increase capacity (for example, buying an additional freezer) 2

 Acquire new equipment, neither replacing nor increasing capacity (for example, buying a pizza oven when SFA did not previously have one) 3

m Don’t know 0

NO RESPONSE M

E4=1

E6. What types of equipment did your SFA procure using the Equipment Assistance Grants?

Select all that apply

 Cart 1

 Cold food table (for example, serving bar or sandwich prep table) 2

 Countertop equipment (for example, griddle, microwave, or blender) 3

 Food mixer 4

 Ice machine 5

 Range or oven 6

 Work table 7

 Dishwasher – sink or supplies 8

 Food warmer 9

 Freezer 10

 Holding and proofing cabinet 11

 Processing/packaging (for example, dough press or shrink wrap machine) 12

 Refrigerator 13

 Steam table 14

 Transportation (for example, food transport van or lift gate) 15

 Farm to School or school garden supplies 16

 Service (for example, point of service hardware or electronic menu boards) 17

 Other: (Specify) 99

m Don’t know 0

NO RESPONSE M

IF STATE = CA, MA, ME, NV, VT, SKIP TO F_Intro

STATE=/= CA, MA, ME, NV, VT

The next set of questions is about your SFA’s approach to unpaid meal charges that occur when students who are not eligible for free meals do not have funds to pay for meals. Questions pertain to SY 2022-2023 unless otherwise specified.

E7. Does your SFA have a local unpaid meal charge policy, or did your State develop a State-level unpaid meal charge policy for all SFAs to follow?

Select all that apply

o Local unpaid meal charge policy 1

o State-level unpaid meal charge policy 2

• Does not apply – all schools in my SFA serve meals at no charge 3 SKIP TO F_Intro

m Don’t know d SKIP TO E9

NO RESPONSE M

E7=1 or 2

E8. What are the components of the meal charge policy used by your SFA?

Programmer: randomize options 1-7

Select all that apply

o Students unable to pay receive and are charged for regular, reimbursable meals (breakfast, lunch, and/or afterschool snacks) 1

o Students unable to pay receive and are charged for an alternate meal 2

o Students unable to pay receive an alternate meal at no cost 3

• Students unable to pay have a limit on the number of meals they can receive and be charged for 4

o Students unable to pay are denied a meal 5

o Households are encouraged to apply for free or reduced price school meals when their student is unable to pay 6

o Households are notified of low or negative balances (for example, phone calls, text messages, and/or notes sent home) 7

o Outside funding sources (for example, community donations) are provided to pay for meals or debt when students incur meal charges 8

o Other (Specify) 99

Specify (STRING 150)

NO RESPONSE M

STATE=/= CA, MA, ME, NV, VT

E9. Does your SFA keep track of the amount of money owed because of unpaid meal charges?

m Yes 1

m No 0 SKIP TO F_Intro

NO RESPONSE M

E9=1

E10. At the end of SY 2022-2023, what was the total amount of money owed to your SFA because of unpaid meal charges? If the exact amount is not known, please provide your best estimate.

Please enter the amount of money owed at the end of SY 2022-2023. Then select an option to indicate whether this is the actual amount or your best estimate. If you do not have enough information to provide a reasonably close estimate, please select “Don’t Know."

If no money was owed to your SFA because of unpaid meal charges, enter “0”.

DOLLARS

 Actual amount owed 1

 Estimated amount owed 2

 Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

IF E10=0, SKIP TO F_Intro

E10>0

E11. How much of this money has been recovered since the end of SY 2022-2023? If the exact amount is not known, please provide your best estimate.

Please enter the amount of money recovered since the end of SY 2022-2023. Then select an option to indicate whether this is the actual amount or your best estimate. If you do not have enough information to provide a reasonably close estimate, please select “Don’t Know."

DOLLARS

 Actual amount recovered 1

 Estimated amount recovered 2

 Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

IF E11>0

E12. About what percentage of the unpaid meal charge money recovered since the end of SY 2022-2023 came from the following sources? Please provide your best estimate.

Household payments

Charitable donations

District funding

State funding

Other source (Specify)

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

E10>0

E13. What strategies did your SFA use to recover money from households with unpaid meal charges in SY 2022-2023?

Select all that apply

o Billed or otherwise notified households of negative balances 1

o Provided households with a repayment plan 2

o Involved school staff member to facilitate household repayment process 3

o Took nonfinancial actions with parents (for example, not allowed to receive student’s grades) 4

o Used administrative actions with student (for example, not allowed to participate in programs and events, such as field trips or prom) 5

o Used a debt collection agency 6

o Other (Specify) 99

m None (SFA did not use any strategies to recover unpaid charges) 0

NO RESPONSE M

E13=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, OR 99

E14. Which, if any, of these strategies to recover money from households with unpaid meal charges were successful in SY 2022-2023?

PROGRAMMER NOTE: DISPLAY ONLY ITEMS SELECTED IN E13.

Select all that apply

o Billed or otherwise notified households of negative balances 1

o Provided households with a repayment plan 2

o Involved school staff member to facilitate household repayment process 3

o Used administrative actions with student (for example, not allowed to graduate or participate in programs and events, such as field trips or prom) 4

o Used a debt collection agency 5

o [FILL E13_99] 99

m None- No strategies were successful 0

NO RESPONSE M

F. PROCUREMENT AND BUY AMERICAN

IF SFA IS IN ALASKA, HAWAII, OR A U.S. TERRITORY, SKIP TO NEXT SECTION.

F_Intro This section asks about practices related to domestic commodities and products and local food procurement. Please respond for SY 2022-2023 unless otherwise specified.

The Buy American provision requires SFAs to procure, to the maximum extent practicable, domestic commodities or products. A domestic commodity or product is defined as an agricultural commodity that is produced in the United States and a food product that is processed in the United States substantially using agricultural commodities produced in the United States and territories.

all

F1. In which of the following does your SFA include the requirement for domestic commodities and products?

Select all that apply

o Solicitations (for example, invitations for bids, requests for proposals) 1

o Contract language 2

o Product specifications 3

o Purchase orders 4

o Procurement procedures / plans 5

o Other procurement documents 6

Specify (STRING 150)

m None of the above 0

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

all

F2. How does your SFA ensure contractor compliance with the Buy American provision?

Select all that apply

o By monitoring solicitation language 1

o By monitoring contract language 2

o By verifying with the vendor that the domestic commodity or product that was solicited for and awarded is in fact the food received 3

o By reviewing delivery invoices or receipts 4

o By reviewing product labels or product codes 5

o By conducting reviews of storage facilities 6

o Other (Specify) 99

Specify (STRING 150)

m None of the above 0

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

all

F3. Does your SFA ask food suppliers for the percentage of U.S. content in end products?

m Yes 1

m No 0

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

all

F4. This question asks about product specific challenges your SFA may have experienced with complying with the Buy American provision. For each of the challenges listed below, has your SFA experienced the challenge for no products, some products, or all products?

	Select one response per row
	NO PRODUCTS	SOME PRODUCTS	ALL PRODUCTS	DON’T KNOW
a. Domestic commodity or product supply is limited or unreliable.	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m
b. Domestic commodities or products do not meet preferred quality standards.	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m
c. Domestic commodities or products are more costly than their non-domestic food counterparts.	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m
d. Using domestic commodities or products increases administrative burden.	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m

NO RESPONSE M

all

F4a. This question asks about general challenges your SFA may have experienced with complying with the Buy American provision. For each of the statements, do you agree, disagree, or neither agree nor disagree with the statement?

Select one response per row

	DISAGREE	NEUTRAL	AGREE	DON’T KNOW
a. Our SFA does not understand what language to include in solicitations and contracts.	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m
b. Our SFA does not have enough staff to ensure compliance.	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m
c. Our SFA staff need additional training to understand compliance.	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m
d. Food suppliers are not responsive to requests or able to provide information about the percentage of U.S. content in end products.	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m
e. Other (Specify)	1 m	2 m	3 m	d m
(STRING (150))

NO RESPONSE M

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SFAs may use exceptions to the Buy American provision when the use of domestic commodities or products is not practical. That is, domestic commodities or products are in inadequate supply, low quality, or significantly higher in cost than non-domestic commodities or products.

For example, an SFA may use a threshold of 5%, meaning that an exception to the Buy American provision is warranted if the cost of a domestic commodity or product is at least 5% more than the cost of a non-domestic commodity or product.

F5. Does your SFA use one or more thresholds to determine that a cost is significantly higher for a domestic commodity or product and thus warrants an exception?

m Yes, use one threshold for all domestic commodities or products 1

m Yes, use different thresholds for different domestic commodities or products 2

m No, do not use any thresholds for any domestic commodities or products 0

m Not applicable – all of our procurements conform to Buy American n

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

F5=1

F5a. What threshold does your SFA use to determine that a cost is significantly higher for a domestic commodity or product and thus warrants the use of an exception?

Select one only

m Cost of domestic commodity or product is 1-10% more than the non-domestic commodity or product 1

m Cost of domestic commodity or product is 11-20% more than the non-domestic commodity or product 2

m Cost of domestic commodity or product is 21-30% more than the non-domestic commodity or product 3

m Cost of domestic commodity or product is at least 31% more than the non-domestic commodity or product 4

m Other (Specify) 99

Specify (STRING (NUM))

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

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F6. Has your SFA procured any of the following foods under an exception to the Buy American provision in SY 2022-2023? When responding about fruits and vegetables, consider fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juice forms.

If your SFA procured any of these foods under an exception to the Buy American provision at any time in SY 2022-2023, please select “yes.”

	Select one response per row
	Yes	No	Don’t know
a. Fruits	1 m	0 m	d m
b. Vegetables	1 m	0 m	d m
c. Grains	1 m	0 m	d m
d. Meats/Meat Alternates	1 m	0 m	d m
e. Fluid Milk	1 m	0 m	d m
f. Other (Specify)	1 m	0 m	d m

NO RESPONSE M

F6a, b, c, d, e, or f = 1

F7. Why did your SFA use an exception to the Buy American provision in SY 2022-2023?

Select all that apply

o Supply issue - the domestic commodity or product was not produced or processed in sufficient quantities 1

o Quality issue - the domestic commodity or product was not of satisfactory quality 2

o Cost issue - the cost of a domestic commodity or product was significantly higher than the non-domestic commodity or product 3

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

IF ALL RESPONSES TO F6A-F=0 OR D, SKIP TO G_Intro.

F6a, b, c, d, e, or f=1

F8 About what percentage of your SFA’s total commercial food purchase expenditures (in dollars) were exceptions to the Buy American provision (i.e. non-domestic commodities or products) in SY 2022-2023?

PERCENT

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

F6a, b, c, d, e, or f=1

The next questions ask for the percentage of individual food procurements that were exceptions to the Buy American provision in SY 2022-2023.

F9. Did your SFA track individual food procurements under an exception to the Buy American provision?

m Yes 1

m No 0 SKIP TO G_Intro

m Don’t know d SKIP TO G_Intro

NO RESPONSE M

F9=1

F10. What unit of measure did your SFA use to track individual food procurements under exceptions to the Buy American provision?

Select all that apply

o Dollars 1

o Pounds 2

o Cases 3

o Other unit 99

Specify (STRING (150))

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

f6a=1

F11a. About what percentage of fruit procurements were not domestic commodities or products in SY 2022-2023? Consider all forms of fruit, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried, single-serve packs (for example, fruit cups), and juice. Enter your best estimate.

PERCENT (RANGE 1-100)

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

f6b=1

F11b. About what percentage of vegetable procurements were not domestic commodities or products in SY 2022-2023? Consider all forms of vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juice. Enter your best estimate.

PERCENT (RANGE 1-100)

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

f6C=1

F11c. About what percentage of grain procurements were not domestic commodities or products in SY 2022-2023? Enter your best estimate.

PERCENT (RANGE 1-100)

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

f6d=1

F11d. About what percentage of meat/meat alternate procurements were not domestic commodities or products in SY 2022-2023? Enter your best estimate.

PERCENT (RANGE 1-100)

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

f6e=1

F11e. About what percentage of fluid milk procurements were not domestic commodities or products in SY 2022-2023? Enter your best estimate.

PERCENT (RANGE 1-100)

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

f6f=1

F11f. About what percentage of [FILL F10F SPECIFY] procurements were not domestic commodities or products in SY 2022-2023? Enter your best estimate.

PERCENT (RANGE 1-100)

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

G. MEAL PREPARATION AND SERVICE

all

G_Intro This section focuses on the meals your SFA prepares and serves.

all

G1. From what sources does your SFA get standardized recipes?

Select all that apply

o USDA 1

o Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) 2

o State agency 3

o Food Service Management Company 4

o Created in-house 5

o Other (Specify) 99

Specify (STRING 150)

m None – SFA does not use standardized recipes 0

NO RESPONSE M

G1=/=0

G2. The USDA Recipe Standardization Guide for School Nutrition Programs is a “how-to” guide on recipe standardization for school nutrition recipe developers. How helpful was the USDA Recipe Standardization Guide?

m Not at all helpful 0

m Slightly helpful 1

m Somewhat helpful 2

m Very helpful 3

m N/A - did not use USDA Recipe Standardization Guide n

NO RESPONSE M

G1=/=0

G3. If your SFA writes standardized recipes, what additional trainings or resources would be helpful for your SFA?

Select all that apply

o Incorporating more local foods into recipes 1

o Incorporating more whole foods into recipes 2

o Incorporating scratch cooking 3

o Customizing recipes to reflect cultural foodways 4

o Developing seasonal menus and recipes 5

o Determining how recipes credit toward the meal pattern requirements 6

o Determining ingredient costs or price per serving for standardized recipes 7

o Conducting menu or nutrient analysis 8

o Other (Specify) 99

Specify (STRING 150)

m No additional trainings needed for recipe development 0

m Not applicable – SFA does not write standardized recipes n

NO RESPONSE M

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G4. Thinking about all resources available from USDA, do you prefer to use USDA resources online or as paper copies?

m Online 1

m Paper copies 2

m No preference 3

NO RESPONSE M

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G5. During SY 2022-2023, did your SFA use scratch or speed-scratch cooking methods to prepare meals at breakfast or lunch?

Scratch-based food preparation produces meal components from whole or minimally processed basic ingredients, often using a recipe.

Speed-scratch food preparation produces meal components using some processed ingredients in an otherwise scratch-based food preparation, such as premade pizza dough, shredded cheese, canned pizza sauce, and pre-cut vegetables.

Select all that apply

o Used scratch cooking methods to prepare reimbursable breakfasts 1

o Used scratch cooking methods to prepare reimbursable lunches 2

o Used speed-scratch cooking methods to prepare reimbursable breakfasts 3

o Used speed-scratch cooking methods to prepare reimbursable lunches 4

o Did not use scratch cooking methods 5

o Did not use speed-scratch cooking methods 6

m Don’t know d

NO RESPONSE M

G5=1 or 2

G6a. How often did your SFA use scratch cooking methods to prepare reimbursable meals during SY 2022-2023?

	Select one response per row
	Never	Less than once per week	Once per week	2-4 times per week	Every day	Don’t Know
a. [G5=1] Breakfast	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m
b. [G5=2] Lunch	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m

NO RESPONSE M

G5=3 or 4

G6b. How often did your SFA use speed-scratch cooking methods to prepare reimbursable meals during SY 2022-2023?

Speed-scratch food preparation produces meal components using some processed ingredients in an otherwise scratch-based food preparation, such as premade pizza dough, shredded cheese, canned pizza sauce, and pre-cut vegetables.

	Select one response per row
	Never	Less than once per week	Once per week	2-4 times per week	Every day	Don’t Know
a. [G5=3] Breakfast	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m
b. [G5=4] Lunch	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m

NO RESPONSE M

G5=5 or 6

G7. How much do the following potential barriers prevent your SFA from scratch or speed-scratch cooking more often? Please indicate whether each item is a major barrier, a minor barrier, or not a barrier for your SFA.

	Select one response per row
	Major barrier	Minor barrier	Not a barrier	Don’t know
SFA needs to change oversight/monitoring methods	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Unsure how to modify or are overwhelmed to modify program operations for scratch cooking	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Not enough staff to scratch cook	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Staff do not have enough culinary skills or training	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Lack of interest or resistance from staff	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Lack of interest or resistance from school administration	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Not enough time for scratch cooking	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Not enough space for scratch cooking	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Not enough large equipment (e.g., refrigerators, ovens)	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Not enough small equipment (e.g., food processors, knives)	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Cost of foods	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Cost of labor hours	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Need to change procurement strategies and processes	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Need to identify new vendors to procure foods for new menus	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Locked into a contract with a vendor, cooperative purchasing group, or FSMC that doesn’t sell what we’d need	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Need to solicit or identify new recipes	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Need to change menu and nutrition analysis methods to ensure menus meet meal pattern requirements	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
It’s more challenging to prepare kosher or halal foods or foods for special diets with scratch cooking	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Concern about more waste	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Concern about lower participation	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Concern about student acceptance of new recipes or menus	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m
Concern about parent acceptance of new recipes or menus	0 m	1 m	2 m	d m

NO RESPONSE M

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G8. During SY 2022-2023, how often did your SFA offer a daily menu for breakfast that did not include any animal-based proteins (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or dairy)?

	Select one response per row
	Never	Less than once per week	Once per week	2-4 times per week	Every day	Don’t Know
a. Elementary school	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m
b. Middle school	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m
c. High school	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m
d. Other schools	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m

NO RESPONSE M

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G9. During SY 2022-2023, how often did your SFA offer a daily menu for lunch that did not include any animal-based proteins (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or dairy) for each school level?

	Select one response per row
	Never	Less than once per week	Once per week	2-4 times per week	Every day	Don’t Know
a. Elementary school	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m
b. Middle school	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m
c. High school	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m
d. Other schools	0 m	1 m	2 m	3 m	4 m	d m

NO RESPONSE M

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G10. What are the biggest challenges your SFA has faced in making accommodations for students with disabilities?

Select all that apply

o Meal or food component substitutions 1

o Cross-contamination/cross-contact 2

o Ingredient tracking 3

o Physical accessibility of meal service 4

o Tracking individual student needs 5

o Obtaining needed medical statements 6

o Working with parents or guardians 7

o Training staff 8

o Other (Specify) 99

Specify (STRING 150)

NO RESPONSE M

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VERIFICATION SCREEN.

You have completed the SMO Study SY 2023-2024 SFA Director Survey. Are you ready to submit your responses?

If you are ready, click the "Next" button below and your survey will be submitted. If you need to double-check an answer, click the "Back" button to navigate to the question you would like to review.

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