CNAC Minutes for the November 2, 2023 Meeting

Council members:

Clell Hoffman, Chair
Jackie Day, Vice Chair
Kim Frinzell
Cristine Holmer
Jane Alvarado-Banister
Ryan Alvarez
Maryam Shayegh
Natalie Cole
Ronald Little
Holly Hungerford Cocking

Absent:

Carrie Buck

Guests:

Blake Johnson, Legislative Representative, California Department of Education (CDE)
Jackie Richardson, Nutrition Education Administrator, CDE
Andrea Bricker, Nutrition Education Consultant, CDE
Ellen Sweeney, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, CDE

CNAC Administrative Activities:

• Call to order 10:28 a.m.
  
  
• Pledge of Allegiance
  
  
• Approve November 2023 California Nutrition Advisory Council (CNAC) agenda: Motion to approve agenda. Seconded. November agenda approved.
  
  
• Approve September 2023 CNAC meeting minutes: Motion to approve September meeting minutes. Seconded. Minutes approved.
  

Request for public comment:

No public comment.

Agenda Items

Item 1: Legislative update:

Blake Johnson, Legislative updates:

• January 3 – Legislature reconvened.
  
  
• January 12 – Last day for policy committees to hear and report to fiscal committees for fiscal bills introduced.
  
  
• January 19 – Last day for any committee to hear and report bills to the floor.
  
  
• Bills recently passed: Assembly Bill (AB) 95 Pupil nutrition: pupil meals, Senate Bill (SB) 348 Pupil meals, SB 628 GO-Biz: Made in California Program.
  
  
• Bills held: AB 679 Family childcare homes: meals: reimbursement rates, AB 1178 School nutrition: guardian meal reimbursement.

Kim Frinzell, NSD Director’s Updates:

• AB 418 – The California Food Safety Act. Starting January 1, 2027, this law prohibits a person or entity (including schools) from manufacturing, selling, delivering, distributing, holding, or offering for sale, a food product for human consumption that contains brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, Propel Para-Ben, or red dye #3. Food service directors (FSD) can start considering this for future procurement and solicitation bids.
  
  
• AB 95 – Pupil nutrition: pupil meals. This law restates the allowability under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and California Universal Meals, that schools may sell an additional meal to a student after they have received one meal at no cost to the student that qualifies for federal reimbursement.
  
  
• AB 628 – State Healthy Food Access Policy. Declares it is established policy that every human being has right to access healthy food. Requires all relevant state agencies when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria to consider access to healthy foods.
  
  
• SB 291 – Pupil rights to recess. Effective in School Year (SY) 2024–25, a charter or public school that offers recess must ensure that the recess is at least 30 minutes on regular instructional days and at least 15 minutes on early release days. As school schedules are being developed for next year this could impact meal times at your sites.
  
  
• SB 348 – Pupil meals. The requirement to provide breakfast and lunch on shortened school days remains. Per requirements in this bill, the CDE will submit a waiver to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to seek approval to offer a non-congregate meal on shortened school days. The requirement that a school district, county office of education, or charter school that offers independent study must make available meals on any school day lasting two hours or more, at a school site, resource center, meeting space, or other satellite facility remains in effect. This bill requires the CDE to review existing research and to make recommendations regarding adequate time to eat by June 30, 2024. And finally, the bill states that if USDA were to allow more added sugar or sodium than is recommended by the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, then the CDE will convene a workgroup to make recommendations for maximum daily added sugar and added sodium intake recommendations for each grade level.
  
  
• Federal updates:
  • Continuing resolution through November 17, 2023.
    
    
  • USDA released the final rule for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Beginning SY 2024–25, the minimum Identified Student Percentage (ISP) is lowered from 40% to 25% and the grace year threshold lowered from 30% to 15%. The 1.6 multiplier will not change.
    
    
  • California has noted an increase in CEP and Provision 2 (P2). There are 6,103 school sites currently on CEP, 851 school sites on P2, and 3,249 standard counting and claiming.
    
    
  • Universal meals have made a great impact. In SY 2022–23 over 830 million school meals were served. Over $3.5 billion in reimbursement.
    
    
  • Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) – Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) was very helpful to children, and we are now implementing Summer EBT. Requirements are different than P-EBT, but we are expecting the final rule in December. CDE is working closely with the Department of Social Services to support this program.
    
    
  • Investments in grant programs have been instrumental to the success of increasing the quality of meals.
    
    
    • 2023 NSLP Federal Equipment Assistance Grant – $3.37 million, December 4, 2023 is the deadline to apply. Allows school food authorities to purchase equipment to serve healthier meals that meet meal pattern requirements, replace outdated or worn equipment, improve procurement of goods, improve food safety, improve the lunchroom, help support maintenance of an existing kitchen or serving line, or establishment of a new school kitchen or School Nutrition Program.
      
      
    • Round 4 Supply Chain Funds – ready in December. California received $418 million.
      
      
    • $23 million for Local Foods for Schools.
      
      
    • $865 million for CDE to release to schools through the Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Grants.
      
      
    • $100 million School Food Best Practices funding.
      
      
    • Prop 98 funding, $15 million competitive grant funding for commercial dishwashers.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction:

Introduction: Tony Thurmond has served 25 years in public service. He is a strong supporter of improved access to school meals and is deeply committed to, and has championed, many historic investments in California initiatives. As the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI), Mr. Thurmond:

• Supports access to quality nutritious meals and the connection to student performance.
  
  
• Supports strengthening and implementing equity driven approaches.
  
  
• Prioritizes mental health supports.
  
  
• Created the first ever family engagement unit.
  
  
• Works to expand the diversity of the teacher workforce.
  
  
• Supports universal pre-Kindergarten and expanding quality preschool.
  
  
• Formed the black student achievement task force to address racism and impacts on black students in California.
  
  
• Works tirelessly to develop a strong, vibrant public school system in California.

CNAC members presented their work plans to the SSPI. They also discussed the importance of prioritizing nutrition education.

Item 2: Members continue to work on action plans:

Lunch Break

Meeting adjourned for lunch. Reconvened at 1:30 p.m.

Item 3: Teams present action plan, progress, and next steps:

Group 1: Access to nutrition during the out-of-school time period, especially during the summer.

This group has completed a white paper addressing the barriers that prevent families from accessing summer and other out-of-school-time meals.

Action items/next steps: Finalize content.

Group 2: Access to school breakfast

This group has finished a white paper with recommendations for increasing school breakfast participation, which includes breakfast after the bell, second chance breakfast, and breakfast in the classroom.

Action items/next steps: Finalize content.

Group 3: Adequate seat time

Report: Additional deliverables identified. The action plan will need to be updated.

Action items/next steps: Finalize content.

Item 4: Discuss recommendations for continuing the work in 2024:

• CNAC members put forward the following topics for consideration for future work
  • Staffing challenges in school food service
  • Plant-based meals
  • Health education requirements

Request for Public Comment

Public comment: Abby Halperin, Policy and Grants Manager, Center for Ecoliteracy– offered resources related to school district position reclassifications and discussed the benefits of multiple meal periods for streamlining student meal service.

Item 5: Recognition of CNAC member service:

• The terms of seven CNAC members end today.
• The Department extended gratitude and well wishes.

Item 6: Discuss agenda items and scheduling for next meeting:

• Request discussion regarding SB 291: Pupil rights to recess.
• Request discussion regarding formalizing nutrition education curriculum

Request for public comment:

No public comment.

Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 2:56 p.m.