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Child nutrition: new meal rules, HB100 grant and software migration could affect school food budgets
Summary
USBE’s Child Nutrition team outlined federal meal pattern changes, a one‑time state grant tied to House Bill 100 for reduced‑price lunches, and a move from CNPweb to a new statewide Edge system that will change claims and reporting workflows.
Kim Loveland, director of child nutrition programs at USBE, told attendees that new federal meal patterns for school year 2026 include reduced sugar limits in cereal, yogurt and milk and upcoming sodium reductions; she said menus, food choices and contracts should be reviewed because those changes affect food and labor costs.
Kim reviewed federal and state reimbursement rates for breakfast and lunch and said USDA Foods allocations were calculated using last year’s claimed lunches; states that participate will receive a set value per lunch. She warned LEAs to double‑check monthly reimbursements once the new Edge software begins processing claims. Kim said state liquor‑tax funding for lunch would begin conservatively at $0.75 per meal pending mid‑year reconciliation.
On a new state grant from House Bill 100, Kim said the state appropriated about $2.5 million in one‑time funding for reduced‑price lunches. Applications opened in UtahGrants and LEAs have until Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. to apply; quarterly funding requests will be collected via Qualtrics and reconciled through UtahGrants. Kim said the grant excludes pre‑K and retained seniors and that LEAs should submit counts of reduced‑price lunches for k‑12 students to calculate allocations.
Kim also described the migration from CNPweb to a new Edge suite of modules (USBE’s PremierEdge) that will handle USDA Foods, site claims, direct certification and verification. USBE will walk food service directors through claim entry and expects LEAs to submit claims by preset monthly deadlines so state allotments and reconciliations are not delayed.
Contacts: Kim Loveland (child nutrition director), Kelsey Eller (compliance), Michelle Martin (USDA foods/professional learning).
