Definition of a School Nutrition Program Site

This management bulletin provides an updated definition of a “site” in public, charter, residential child care institutions (RCCI), and private schools. This definition applies to School Nutrition Programs (SNP) only, which includes the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 210.2, defines a school food authority (SFA) as “the governing body which is responsible for the administration of one or more schools; and has the legal authority to operate the Program therein or be otherwise approved by FNS [Food and Nutrition Service] to operate the Program.”

This management bulletin supersedes Management Bulletin SNP-95-126: Definition of a “Site”, issued by the California Department of Education Nutrition Services Division in October 1995.

In order for feeding sites at an SFA to be considered one site in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS), for meal counting and claiming purposes the following criteria must be met:

1. Programs are under the same administrative jurisdiction (governing body) or the agencies have an agreement (i.e., interagency agreement, memorandum of understanding, contract, etc.) to provide meals and maintain supporting meal documentation (i.e., menu production records, eligibility, point-of-service meal counts)
   
   
2. Programs are on the same campus or adjacent to the campus (i.e., across the street) and using the same serving site

For example, if a school district operates a school, a preschool, and a Head Start program at 123 School Street—for SNP purposes—the three programs may be consolidated and considered one site. All records regarding meals and meal counts may also be combined.

Sites can also be considered one site in the CNIPS if two serving locations with different addresses are on the same campus or adjacent with an agreement in place. If the building at 456 Jackson Street is on the same main campus as 123 School Street, the two locations may be consolidated and considered one site as long as they meet the two criteria listed above.

However, if a school district operates a school and a preschool at 123 School Street, and they also provide space at that address for a program administered by another agency without an agreement in place (i.e., county office of education, RCCI, etc.), the district must list the school and preschool as one site. The other entity must be its own agency in the CNIPS.

A serving site or location should not be determined by the location of each point-of-sale (POS) system. A single site could have POS systems located at multiple locations, including the cafeteria, kiosks on campus, and service windows.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact your county’s SNP Specialist. A list of SNP Specialists is available in the Download Forms section of the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS), Form ID Caseload. You can also email SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov to be directed to your SNP Specialist.