The California Department of Education (CDE) announces the availability of the funding award information for the 2022 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) Funds.
As communicated with you through Listservs and townhall meetings, the Governor’s proposed 2023 budget included an amendment to designate $15 million of the 2022 KIT funds for school commercial dishwasher purchases. The final 2023 state budget did fund the competitive commercial dishwasher grants; however, KIT funding was not used to support this effort. As a result, the CDE has distributed the residual $15 million in available KIT funds as well as $152,936 that local educational agencies (LEAs) have returned since the initial award. The $15,152,936 will be apportioned only to those LEAs that opted into the freshly prepared onsite meals as this was the portion of funding from which the initial $15 million was withheld as well as the funding source for the $152,936 of funding that was returned.
Payment Details
Payment details are located on the CDE Funding Results web page. Your County Treasurer’s Office (CTO) will receive the warrant. From there, the CTO will follow their processes and procedures to award the funds to the participating school food authorities within their county.
Use of Funds
Funds must be used only for the purposes for which they were awarded. This funding is part of the 2022 KIT additional funding provided to LEAs that attest that no less than 40 percent of reimbursable National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meals, including the entree and grains, prepared each week, beginning in the 2023–24 school year, are freshly prepared onsite meals. These additional funds must be used to support the planning and implementation of facility improvements and equipment upgrades to increase capacity for freshly prepared onsite meal preparation.
Detailed information on fund expenditures can be found on the CDE 2022 KIT Funds web page.
Accounting
The standardized account code structure (SACS) resource code remains the same as the previous 2022 KIT funds issued. Please ensure the revenue is deposited into the agency’s general fund using the resource codes below:
SACS Resource Code 7032: Kitchen Infrastructure, Equipment, and Training
Revenue Object Code: 8520
If you have questions about the accounting for these funds using these resource codes, please contact the School Fiscal Services Division at SACSINFO@cde.ca.gov.
Reporting Use of Funds
As a condition of accepting these funds, program operators must complete a mandatory expenditure report. The expenditures from these newly issued funds must be included in this report. This report will gather details on how the funds were used to improve the quality of school meals or increase participation. This report will also gather information on the food service staff training topics and number of trainings and attendees. The CDE anticipates that this report will be submitted in the form of an online survey. We will notify you via email once the survey is available.
Returning Funds to the CDE
If you are no longer participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, or if you choose not to spend all or some of the 2022 KIT Funds, inform the KIT Funds Team via email at KITfunds@cde.ca.gov.
Warrants may be mailed to:
Nutrition Services Division Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Funds
c/o Cashier’s Office
California Department of Education
P.O. Box 515006
Sacramento, CA 95851-5006
Contact Information
Additional information can be found on the CDE KIT Funds web page.
For questions, email the KIT Funds Team at KITfunds@cde.ca.gov.