Dear County Superintendents of Schools:

Apportionment for Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Funds Fiscal Year 2021–22

This apportionment, in the amount of $150 million, is made from the California General Funds to the California Department of Education (CDE) for awards to eligible local educational agencies (LEA) that registered their interest for Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Funds by January 21, 2022. This grant is made possible by the Budget Act of 2021, Section 138, Chapter 44, as amended by Assembly Bill 167, Education finance: education omnibus trailer bill, Section 39. This legislation defined eligible LEA recipients as public school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program.

Purpose of Funds

The purpose of the Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) funds is to increase pupil access to, or improve the quality of, fresh and nutritious school meals. LEAs should consider how these funds can be used to support the implementation of the Universal Meals Program, beginning in School Year 2022–23. Funds are distributed in training apportionments and equipment apportionments and must be used only for the purposes for which they are awarded.

Allowable Expenditures

Accordingly, participating eligible LEAs may use equipment funds to purchase, repair, or address infrastructure needs for cooking, service, refrigeration, and storage equipment as well as for purchases, repairs, and infrastructure needs related to transportation of ingredients, meals, and equipment between sites. Food service staff training funds are for the sole benefit of food service staff of the awarded LEA. Training topics must focus on promoting nutritious foods, which may include food preparation, healthy food marketing, and changing the school lunchroom environment. The needs of all sites under the LEA awarded should be considered when determining how funds will be expended.

Funding Amounts

The amount awarded to each LEA is as follows:

Kitchen Infrastructure Funds:

• Each eligible LEA is awarded a base funding amount of $25,000.
  
  
• Remaining Kitchen Infrastructure Funds were then allocated to eligible LEAs with at least 50 percent of students eligible for F/RP meals and proportionately by number of students eligible for F/RP meals.

Training Funds:

• Each eligible LEA is awarded a base funding amount of $2,000.
  
  
• Remaining Training Funds were then allocated to eligible LEAs based on their proportion of the total number of NSLP meals served in October 2020 from all eligible NSLP sponsors.

Funds may only be used for the purposes for which they are awarded. The Program Cost Account (PCA) is 25590. Amounts paid in this apportionment are listed on the schedule of apportionment posted under the funding tab on the CDE KIT Funds Results web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r9/kitfundsresults22.asp.

Procurement Guidelines

These funds are state General Fund monies. At minimum, LEAs must follow all applicable procurement processes and guidelines, which may include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting procurements in a manner that is compliant with your LEA’s procurement procedures and that promotes full and open competition.
  
  
• Complying with your LEA’s written standard (or code) of conduct that covers conflicts of interest, including organizational conflicts of interest, and governs the performance of employees engaged in the selection, award, and administration of contracts and purchases.
  
  
• Maintaining records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price.
  
  
• Maintaining all vendor invoices, and receipts.

Keep in mind, depending on your location, these purchases may also fall under emergency procurement protocols.

Reporting

LEAs are advised to retain all supporting documentation that demonstrates how these funds were expended.

As a condition of accepting these funds, LEAs must commit to completing a mandatory expenditure report. This report will include details on how the funds were used to improve the quality of school meals or increase participation. This report will also include 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. This survey will be available by May 2023, and will be due by June 30, 2023.

Project Period

The project period for the KIT funds for LEAs is July 9, 2021, to June 30, 2023. Funds may be used for allowable expenses incurred prior to award since the day this funding was approved July 9, 2021.

Questions and More Information

Warrants will be mailed to each county treasurer. For standardized account code structure coding, use:

• Resource Code 7028 for Kitchen Infrastructure
• Resource Code 7029 for Training
• Revenue Object Code 8520 for Child Nutrition

County superintendents and LEAs were notified of this apportionment by email. Links to this letter and the accompanying apportionment schedule are posted at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r9/kitfundsresults22.asp.

For more information on these funds, visit the CDE KIT Funds web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/kitfunds.asp.

If you have any questions regarding KIT funds, this apportionment, or the allocation amounts, please contact the Nutrition Services Division by email at KITfunds@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Mary Nicely
Chief Deputy Superintendent