Webinar: Tuesdays @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall

Join us for the next California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) Tuesday at 2 Town Hall, scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2 p.m. During the Town Hall we will share an overview of federal and state policies, funding and training opportunities, and best practices for operating Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs).

During February’s Town Hall, CDE welcomes representatives from the White Pony Express, a volunteer‑run 501(c)(3) food recovery organization, who will share information about their School Pantry Program and how they provide healthy food to 14 under‑resourced schools in Contra Costa County.

Town Hall Webinar PowerPoint

Use the following steps to access slides on the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) web page after 10 a.m. on the morning of the Town Hall:

For School Food Authorities (SFA): Select Applications and Download Forms.

For Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Operators: In the SFSP Module, select Applications and Download Forms.

The Town Hall slides in CNIPS are marked “Draft” and are subject to change. If updates are needed, the CDE will upload the revised slides in the same location following the Town Hall.

After the Town Hall, the CDE posts the final Town Hall PowerPoint slides on the CDE Food Service Staff Education and Training web page under the Town Halls tab.

Background

The Tuesday at 2 Virtual Town Hall events typically occur on the fourth Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise noted. The Town Halls provides updates on policy guidance, program requirements, and best practices for operating CNPs. The desired audience includes CNP Operators and Food Service Directors.

Participation Information

Date and Time

Tuesday at 2 School Nutrition Town Hall

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Registration and Cost

This town hall is free to attend. Register in advance for this webinar .

After registering, you will see a screen that says Webinar Registration Approved with a link to the webinar. You will also receive several emails with information about joining the webinar. First, you will receive confirmation on the day you register and then you will receive two reminders one day and one hour prior to the webinar. If you cannot find the email confirmation, or do not receive the reminders, you can always reregister.

Tip for Attendees

To save time before the meeting, check your system to make sure it is ready to use Zoom .

If you experience issues, visit the Zoom Help Center web page for assistance.

If you receive an error message that the host has declined your webinar registration, try using an alternate email address. While it is not ideal, you may also join by phone if you have technical issues logging in from your computer.

Professional Standards Crediting Information

• Key Area: Administration (3000)
• Training Topic: Program Management (3200)
• Learning Objective: Manage Staff Work Including Scheduling (3210)
• Instructional Hours: 1.5 hours

Reasonable Accommodation

Pursuant to state and federal statutes, individuals with a disability may request reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in the Tuesday at 2 School Nutrition Town Hall. Send direct requests for reasonable accommodation to the CDE by email at NSDTownHalls@cde.ca.gov no later than seven days prior to the event. Live captioning will be available during the webinar.

Town Hall Information Links and Resources Provided on January 27, 2026

The following resources were shared in the chat during the previous town hall:

• A current list of School Nutrition Program (SNP) Specialists is available on the CDE School Nutrition Program Specialist Directory web page or email the SNP staff at SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov.
• Find your assigned Child Nutrition Assistant or Consultant information by visiting the CNIPS web page in the Application Download Forms section and using the Form ID Caseload.
• Watch the National Football League's GenYouth Chef Showdown on NBC Bay Area.
• Review the California School Nutrition Association Winter 2026 Poppy Seeds magazine article, "A Model New Approach: District-Level Involvement in Local School Wellness Policies" .
• Visit the Real Food Starts Here website to review the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 information and resources.
• Review the new U.S. Department of Agriculture SP 01-2026 Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 – Implementation Requirements for the National School Lunch Program revising requirements for milk provided through the National School Lunch Program.
• For more information CDE’s disability versus non-disability substitution requirements visit the CDE Milk Requirements in the Child Nutrition Programs web page.
• If you have questions regarding these updates or milk requirements, contact the School Nutrition Programs (SNP) Unit at SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov.
• Access the CDE Micropurchase & Simplified Acquisition Thresholds CNP-01-2024 Management Bulletin (MB) available on the School Nutrition Programs Management Bulletins web page.
• Review the Threshold Changes – October 1, 2025 web page on the Acquisition.gov website.
• If you have any questions regarding this subject, please email the Procurement Resources Unit at NSDProcurementReview@cde.ca.gov.
• For more information on immigration enforcement at school sites including model policy requirements and related guidance visit the Office of Attorney General’s Resources for California’s Immigrant Communities web page .
• Access the CDE Ramadan Waiver Survey to apply for the waiver for non-congregate meals during Ramadan.
• Review CDE’s Waiver for Non-congregate Meals During Ramadan listserv from January 13, 2026.
• Access the CDE Allowable Costs for Cafeteria Funds web page.
• If you have any Cafeteria Funds questions, please email the Resource Management Unit at snpcafefundquestions@cde.ca.gov.
• Access the MB Professional Standards in the SNP SNP-13-2025 on the CDE SNP MBs web page.
• Access the Professional Standards 001 - California Hiring Requirements for New School Nutrition Program Directors form which is available in the CNIPS Download Forms section.
• If you have any questions regarding this subject, email the Professional Standards team at ProfessionalStandards@cde.ca.gov.
• Register for the 2026 SUN Bucks Implementation webinar , on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 2 p.m.
• Share the "School Flyer - Apply for SUN Bucks!" available on the California Department of Social Services website.
• Access the CDE 2025 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) Grant and Retention and Recruitment Grant web page.
• Access the 2025 KIT and Retention and Recruitment request for award (RFA) information on the CDE RFA: 2025 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training and Retention and Recruitment Grant web page.
• If you have any questions regarding the 2025 KIT Grant and Retention and Recruitment grants, please email the team at KIT2025@cde.ca.gov.
• Access the CDE Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) web page.
• For more information about the School Year 2026–27 FFVP Grant Application, please visit the CDE FFVP RFA web page.
• For more information on FFVP grant eligibility, please visit the CDE FFVP web page.
• For FFVP questions, contact the FFVP Team by email at FFVP@cde.ca.gov.
• For grant information about the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and Summer Meal Programs (SMP) grant information visit the CDE SBP and SMP Grants 2026–27 RFA web page.
• If you have questions regarding this grant, please contact the Breakfast Grant team by email at breakfastgrant@cde.ca.gov.
• You can access the NSD Learning Site by referring to the Learning Management System (LMS) Account Setup Job Aid - LMS-001 in CNIPS.
• For any NSD Learning Site questions and/or support email the team at NSDLearning@cde.ca.gov.
• Find more information and resources about the National School Breakfast Week  available on the School Nutrition Association’s National School Breakfast Week web page .
• Learn more and find resources about the National Nutrition Month available on the National Nutrition Month® resources web page .
• Subscribe to the No Kid Hungry (NKH) School Breakfast Online Newsletter by accessing the NKH Subscribe web page .
• Register for the all four Friends of the Earth Plant-based webinars .
• Find the NSD Learning Site account setup instructions on CNIPS in the Application > Download Forms section > Forms LMS Reg 001.

For NSD Learning Site questions or support, contact the CDE’s learning team at NSDLearning@cde.ca.gov.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this subject, email NSDTownHalls@cde.ca.gov.