Agency Information Collection Activities: Special Emergency Approval of SFA Survey II on School Food Supply Chain Disruptions, 60111-60115 [2022-21512]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 4, 2022 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2022–21509 Filed 10–3–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Special Emergency
Approval of SFA Survey II on School
Food Supply Chain Disruptions
Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, this notice invites the general
public and other public agencies to
comment on a proposed emergency
information collection.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
of the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is requesting
emergency approval under the
Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a
survey of School Food Authorities to
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SUMMARY:
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collect information on the continued
impacts of COVID–19-related supply
chain disruptions on the Child Nutrition
(CN) Programs, as well as emerging
challenges related to the transition back
to standard school nutrition program
operations.
DATES: Written comments must be
received on or before November 3, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to:
Sarah Reinhardt, Office of Policy
Support, Food and Nutrition Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320
Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Comments may also be submitted via
email to Sarah.Reinhardt@usda.gov.
Comments will also be accepted through
the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to
https://www.regulations.gov, and follow
the online instructions for submitting
comments electronically. All responses
to this notice will be shared with the
Office of Management and Budget. All
comments will be a matter of public
record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection
should be directed to Sarah Reinhardt at
Sarah.Reinhardt@usda.gov or Barbara
Murphy at Barbara.Murphy@usda.gov
or (703) 305–2532.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) has
established regulations for the
emergency processing of information
collection requests (ICRs) at 5 CFR
1320.13. OMB can authorize Emergency
Clearance for an information collection
for up to 6 months.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed emergency collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of the burden of the proposed collection
of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions that
were used; (c) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology. The draft
survey is included in the appendix to
this Notice.
Title: Special Emergency Approval of
SFA Survey II on School Food Supply
Chain Disruptions.
OMB Number: 0584–NEW.
Expiration Date: Six months after
OMB approval.
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Type of Request: Emergency
information collection request.
Abstract: FNS is responsible for the
administration of the Child Nutrition
programs—including the National
School Lunch Program (NSLP), the
School Breakfast Program (SBP), NSLP
Seamless Summer Option (SSO), the
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP),
the Child and Adult Care Food Program
(CACFP), and others—at the federal
level. To inform current and future
policy decisions and effectively oversee
these programs, FNS requires
information on how these programs are
operating. Although FNS oversees these
programs, SAs administer them through
agreements with SFAs and other local
entities that implement the programs at
the local level.
Throughout the pandemic, school
nutrition professionals have met
extraordinary challenges to ensure every
child can get the food they need to
learn, grow, and thrive. But
circumstances in local communities
remain unpredictable, and supply
chains for food and labor have been
stressed and at times disrupted. USDA
is committed to working together with
state agencies, school food authorities
(SFAs), the food industry, and other
stakeholders to communicate these
challenges and to identify solutions.
This is the second survey issued to
SFAs that will assist FNS and its
partners to enhance the toolbox for
school nutrition professionals working
hard to make sure students have reliable
access to healthy meals. Whereas the
first SFA survey focused on challenges
and mitigation strategies related to
procuring specific food or non-food
items during the 2021–2022 school year,
this survey focuses on food costs, labor
costs, and vendor issues that continue to
disrupt school food service in the 2022–
2023 school year, as well as changes in
student participation related to the
return to standard operations.
The attached survey has a maximum
of 31 questions and is estimated to take
approximately 20 minutes to complete
per respondent. FNS is asking all SFAs
that participate in the Child Nutrition
Programs to complete this survey,
which will be distributed via email with
the support of state agencies. SFAs will
be asked to complete the survey using
an online survey tool and will receive
reminders and support emails from state
agencies and FNS as needed. As a
result, the total proposed time burden is
8,840.79 burden hours.
Affected Public: School Food
Authorities and state agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
The total estimated number of
respondents is 19,106.
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Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 5.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
The total estimated number of responses
is 95,315.
Estimated Time per Response: 5.6
minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 8,840.79 hours.
Current OMB Inventory: 0.
Difference (Burden Revisions
Requested): 8,840.79 hours and 95,315
responses.
Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition
Service.
OMB Control Number: 058XX.
Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX.
Appendix
Draft SFA Survey II on School Food Supply
Chain Disruption and Student Participation
Introduction
Throughout the pandemic, school nutrition
professionals have met extraordinary
challenges to ensure every child can get the
food they need to learn, grow, and thrive. As
School Food Authorities (SFAs) across the
country begin to return to standard
operations in school year (SY) 2022–2023,
the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
seeks to understand the continued challenges
SFAs are facing due to ongoing food and
labor supply chain disruptions, as well as the
ways in which this transition is impacting
student participation in nutrition programs.
This survey is mandatory and is intended
to ensure the USDA has national,
representative-level information to assess the
scope, reach, and variation in challenges and
mitigation strategies. The survey focuses
specifically on the impacts of emerging and
continuing supply chain challenges during
school year 2022–2023, including food costs,
labor costs, and vendor issues, as well as
changes in student participation related to
the return to standard school nutrition
program operations. The results will be used
to assist USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS) and its partners to enhance the toolbox
for school nutrition professionals working
hard to make sure students are served
healthy and nutritious meals.
The survey has a maximum of 31 questions
and is estimated to take approximately 20
minutes to complete. FNS is asking all SFAs
that participate in the Child Nutrition
Programs to complete this survey by [DATE].
Please note that the survey includes
questions about changes in overall food costs,
labor costs, and student participation during
the last several years. If this information is
not readily available to you, we encourage
you to provide your best estimates.
We sincerely appreciate your participation
in this survey, particularly as many of you
have little time available given the
exceptional levels of effort you are putting
into feeding children. As such, we have made
this survey as short and simple to complete
as possible.
We thank you in advance for your
contribution to this important effort.
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The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is collecting this information to better understand the impacts of school food vendor, cost, and labor
issues on school districts nationwide. This is a mandatory collection. FNS will use the information to develop tailored resources, tools, and
flexibilities to support school districts in serving students healthy and nutritious meals. This collection does not represent personally identifiable information (PII) under the privacy act of 1974. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid
OMB control number for this information collection is 0584–XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to
average 20 minutes (0.33 hours) per response for SFA Directors, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding
this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314, ATTN: PRA
(0584–XXXX). Do not return the completed form to this address.
Please click Next>> to begin the survey.
1. Since the start of the regular 2022–2023
school year, which Child Nutrition
Programs has your SFA operated? Do not
include programs operated during
summer 2022. Select all that apply.
a. National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
b. School Breakfast Program (SBP)
c. NSLP Afterschool Snack Service
d. Child and Adult Care Food Program
(CACFP) At-Risk Afterschool Meals
e. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
(FFVP)
f. Special Milk Program (SMP)
g. Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
(select only if SFA operated SFSP during
unanticipated school closures since the
start of the regular 2022–2023 school
year)
2. How are the schools in your SFA operating
the school lunch and/or breakfast
programs in school year 2022–2023?
Select all that apply.
a. Collecting household applications to
determine eligibility for free or reducedprice meals
b. Provision 2/3
c. Community Eligibility Provision
d. Universal free meals offered by state or
territory
e. Operating other alternate provisions for
NSLP and SBP
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f. Operating other alternate provision(s) for
only NSLP or only SBP
3. Which food service model(s) does your
SFA use? Select all that apply.
a. Food Service Management Company
(FSMC)
b. Vended meals company (provides meals
only)
c. Purchase meals from other schools or
central kitchens
d. Self-preparation (independent kitchen,
base kitchen, or production kitchen)
4. What, if any, supply chain-related
challenges has your SFA experienced
during school year 2022–2023? Select all
that apply.
a. High food costs (compared with a typical
pre-pandemic school year)
b. High labor costs (compared with a
typical pre-pandemic school year)
c. High cost and/or limited availability of
food service materials (e.g., plates, trays,
utensils)
d. High cost and/or limited availability of
food service equipment or parts
e. School food service staffing shortages
f. Challenges receiving deliveries on usual
days, times, or locations
g. Receiving incomplete orders with
missing or substituted items
h. Receiving items that are damaged or
unusable due to distributor issues
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i. Food vendors discontinuing
participation in school food service
operations
j. Low number of bids for food service
contracts
k. Lack of storage space to store additional
food in the event of shortages
l. SFA has not experienced any challenges
with school meal program operations in
school year 2022–2023
m. I don’t know
5. Has your SFA experienced any challenges
getting USDA Foods processed end
products during school year 2022–2023?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don’t know
d. SFA has not used USDA Foods
processing during school year 2022–2023
6. To the best of your knowledge, what
factors have contributed to challenges
getting USDA Foods processed end
products during school year 2022–2023?
[ASK IF SELECTED Q5 = YES] Select all
that apply.
a. Vendor capacity
b. Distributor supply issues
c. Distributor or processor product line
reductions (SKU rationalization)
d. Price increases
e. Inability to purchase as much food as
SFA would like to due to lack of storage
space
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f. I don’t know
7. What, if any, challenges has your SFA
experienced related to the return to
standard operations during school year
2022–2023?
a. Fewer parents/guardians submitting
applications for free or reduced-price
meals
b. Challenges verifying or processing
applications for free or reduced-price
meals
c. Confusion from students or parents/
guardians regarding the return to
standard operations (e.g., changes to
meal service, payment, or applications)
d. Challenges preparing and/or ordering
the right amount of food due to
uncertainty in participation
e. Staffing challenges due to changes in
meal preparation or service (e.g., from
grab-and-go to cafeteria meals)
f. Unpaid school meal debt
g. SFA has not experienced any challenges
related to the return to standard
operations in school year 2022–2023
h. I don’t know
8. How are the challenges your SFA is
experiencing impacting school meal
operations? Select all that apply.
[Randomize display order.]
a. Reduced student participation
b. Reduced sale of nonprogram
(competitive) foods
c. Increased competition from nonprogram
(competitive) or off-campus food sales
d. Increased overall program costs
e. Difficulty offering enough reimbursable
meals to participating children due to
lack of food
f. Difficulty meeting meal modification
requirements for children with food and
nutrition-related disabilities
g. Difficulty adhering to planned menus
due to changing or limited food
availability
h. Difficulty complying with meal pattern
requirements
i. Difficulty complying with regular
procurement requirements
j. Inability to offer afterschool snacks/
suppers
k. Increased staff stress or workload
l. Difficulty retaining enough staff with
adequate skills and training
m. Difficulty fulfilling other job
requirements, such as completing federal
or state reporting forms, due to time
spent addressing challenges
n. SFA has not experienced any of these
impacts in school year 2022–2023
o. I don’t know
9. What, if any, purchasing strategies has
your SFA used to address supply chain
challenges during school year 2022–
2023? Select all that apply. [Randomize
display order.]
a. Aligning product specifications with
other SFAs
b. Aligning product specifications with
available vendor products
c. Using cooperative purchasing
agreements
d. Increasing use of local vendors and/or
working with multiple vendors
e. Increasing use of USDA Foods direct
delivery (brown box)
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f. Increasing use of USDA DoD Fresh
g. Leveraging state contracts for bids
h. Conducting emergency procurements
i. Increasing use of micro-purchases
j. Purchasing foods directly from grocery
stores or superstores
k. Increasing local food purchases
l. Decreasing local food purchases
m. Requesting shorter bids and/or making
more frequent orders
n. Increasing communication with vendors,
distributors, and/or manufacturers to
identify available products
o. Planning further ahead and/or placing
orders further in advance
p. SFA has not used any purchasing
strategies to address supply chain
challenges in school year 2022–2023
q. I don’t know
10. What other strategies has your SFA used
to address supply chain challenges
during school year 2022–2023? Select all
that apply.
a. Communicating more with parents/
guardians about menus and other
changes
b. Increasing use of scratch cooking
c. Decreasing use of scratch cooking
d. Limiting or repeating weekly menu
offerings
e. Making more frequent menu
substitutions
f. Increasing use of available products
across multiple menu items
g. Using state funding to cover excess costs
of serving school meals
h. Limiting service options (e.g., stopping
breakfast in the classroom)
i. Receiving deliveries at nontraditional
days, times, or locations
j. Picking up orders when usual delivery
methods are not workable
k. SFA has not used any other strategies to
address supply chain challenges in
school year 2022–2023
l. I don’t know
11. What, if any, actions has your SFA taken
in anticipation of the return to standard
operations during school year 2022–
2023?
a. Increasing paid lunch prices
b. Using state funding to cover the cost of
reduced-price meals
c. Increasing communication with parents/
guardians about program changes (e.g.,
changes to meal service, payment, or
applications)
d. Increasing communication and/or
training with staff about program
changes
e. Offering universal school meals or
receiving other financial assistance from
the state
f. No longer participating in NSLP
g. No longer participating in SBP
h. No longer participating in other USDA
child nutrition programs (e.g.,
afterschool snack programs)
i. SFA has not taken any actions in
anticipation of the return to standard
operations
j. I don’t know
12. You indicated that your SFA has faced
challenges due to increased food costs.
To the best of your knowledge,
approximately how much have your food
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60113
costs increased from a typical prepandemic school year (e.g., 2018–2019)?
[ASK IF SELECTED Q4 = HIGH FOOD
COSTS]
a. Less than 10%
b. 10–24%
c. 25–49%
d. 50–74%
e. 75–99%
f. 100% or more
g. I don’t know
13. To the best of your knowledge, what
factors have contributed to changes in
your food costs? Select all that apply.
[ASK IF SELECTED Q4 = HIGH FOOD
COSTS]
a. Changes in student participation in
nutrition program(s)
b. Changes in food service vendors,
including using new and/or multiple
vendors to obtain food
c. Changes in meal preparation or service
(e.g., from scratch cooking to ready-to-eat
meals)
d. Vendors, distributors or manufacturers
increased costs
e. Purchasing more food directly from
grocery stores or superstores
f. Purchasing more food last-minute
g. Using own transportation to transport
food more frequently
h. Substitutions for unavailable items are
more expensive
i. I don’t know
j. Other (please specify)
14. You indicated your SFA has faced
challenges due to increased labor costs.
To the best of your knowledge,
approximately how much have your
labor costs increased from a typical prepandemic school year (e.g., 2018–2019)?
[ASK IF SELECTED Q4 = HIGH LABOR
COSTS]
a. Less than 10%
b. 10–24%
c. 25–49%
d. 50–74%
e. 75–99%
f. 100% or more
g. I don’t know
15. To the best of your knowledge, what
factors have contributed to changes in
your labor costs? Select all that apply.
[ASK IF SELECTED Q4 = HIGH LABOR
COSTS]
a. Wage increases due to factors beyond
SFA control (e.g., state minimum wage
increase)
b. Wage increases implemented by SFA to
hire and/or retain staff
c. Need to hire additional staff for basic
program operations
d. Need to hire additional staff to support
scratch cooking
e. Increased overtime for existing staff
f. Staff turnover and training
g. I don’t know
h. Other (please specify)
16. You indicated your SFA has faced
challenges leading to reduced student
participation. To the best of your
knowledge, approximately how much
has student participation decreased
across the child nutrition programs your
SFA operates since the start of last
school year (2021–2022)? [ASK IF
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SELECTED Q8 = REDUCED STUDENT
PARTICIPATION]
a. Less than 10%
b. 10–24%
c. 25–49%
d. 50–74%
e. 75–99%
f. I don’t know
17. To the best of your knowledge, what
factors have contributed to decreases in
student participation? Select all that
apply. [ASK IF SELECTED Q8 =
REDUCED STUDENT PARTICIPATION]
a. Fewer parents/guardians submitting
applications for free or reduced-price
meals
b. Challenges verifying or processing
applications for free or reduced-price
meals
c. Confusion from students or parents/
guardians regarding the return to
standard operations (e.g., changes to
meal service, payment, or applications)
d. Difficulty purchasing enough food to
meet student demand
e. Student dissatisfaction with menus and/
or meals
f. Shortage of staff, time, equipment, or
materials required for scratch cooking
g. Reduced sale of nonprogram
(competitive) foods
h. Decrease in enrollment
i. Meals are no longer free for all students
j. I don’t know
k. Other (please specify)
18. In general, how did student participation
in your SFA’s child nutrition programs
last school year (2021–2022) compare
with participation in a typical prepandemic school year (e.g., 2018–2019)?
a. Greater than pre-pandemic participation
b. Less than pre-pandemic participation
c. About the same as pre-pandemic
participation
d. I don’t know
19. You indicated your SFA has received
incomplete orders with missing or
substituted items. To the best of your
knowledge, how frequently do you
receive incomplete orders with missing
or substituted items? [ASK IF SELECTED
Q4 = RECEIVING INCOMPLETE
ORDERS WITH MISSING OR
SUBSTITUTED ITEMS]
a. Rarely
b. Sometimes
c. About half of the time
d. Most of the time
e. Almost always or always
20. To the best of your knowledge, when you
receive an incomplete order with
missing or substituted items,
approximately how many items in the
order are affected? [ASK IF SELECTED
Q4 = RECEIVING INCOMPLETE
ORDERS WITH MISSING OR
SUBSTITUTED ITEMS]
a. Few
b. About a quarter of items
c. About half of items
d. About three quarters of items
e. All or almost all items
21. You indicated your SFA has experienced
food companies discontinuing
participation in school food service
operations. To the best of your
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knowledge, which of the following
factors are driving this change? Select all
that apply. [ASK IF SELECTED Q4 =
FOOD VENDORS DISCONTINUING
PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL FOOD
SERVICE OPERATIONS]
a. Federal, state, or local procurement
regulations (please specify)
b. Labor shortages
c. Food shortages
d. Labor costs
e. Food costs
f. Energy or fuel costs
g. Difficulty producing items that meet
SFA specifications
h. Difficulty guaranteeing prices for bids
due to changes in food costs
i. School food operations are no longer
profitable
j. I don’t know
k. Other (please specify)
22. You indicated your SFA increased its
local food purchases during school year
2022–2023 due to supply chain
challenges. To the best of your
knowledge, what factors contributed to
this decision? Select all that apply. [ASK
IF SELECTED Q9 = INCREASING
LOCAL FOOD PURCHASES]
a. Local foods have been easier to find
b. Local foods have been more affordable
to purchase
c. Policies, programs, or performance goals
at the state or local level encourage local
food purchasing
d. SFA received grant or funding to
purchase more local foods
e. SFA received useful information or
training on purchasing local foods
f. I don’t know
g. Other (please specify)
23. You indicated your SFA decreased its
local food purchases during school year
2022–2023 due to supply chain
challenges. To the best of your
knowledge, what factors contributed to
this decision? Select all that apply. [ASK
IF SELECTED Q9 = DECREASING
LOCAL FOOD PURCHASES]
a. Local foods have been more difficult to
find
b. Local foods have been more expensive
to purchase
c. Local foods have been more difficult to
process or prepare due to lack of staff or
training
d. Local foods have been more difficult to
process or prepare due to kitchen
equipment
e. Local foods have been more difficult to
prepare or serve due to changes in meal
service (e.g., use of grab-and-go meals)
f. I don’t know
g. Other (please specify)
24. You indicated your SFA increased its use
of scratch cooking during school year
2022–2023 due to supply chain
challenges. To the best of your
knowledge, what factors contributed to
this decision? Select all that apply. [ASK
IF SELECTED Q10 = INCREASING USE
OF SCRATCH COOKING]
a. Scratch cooking has helped reduce
program costs
b. Scratch cooking has helped utilize bulk
or commodity foods
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c. Policies, programs, or performance goals
at the state or local level encourage
scratch cooking
d. SFA received grant or funding to
support scratch cooking
e. SFA received useful information or
training on scratch cooking
f. I don’t know
g. Other (please specify)
25. You indicated your SFA decreased its use
of scratch cooking during school year
2022–2023 due to supply chain
challenges. To the best of your
knowledge, what factors contributed to
this decision? Select all that apply. [ASK
IF SELECTED Q10 = DECREASING USE
OF SCRATCH COOKING]
a. Scratch cooking has been more difficult
due to cost or availability of ingredients
b. Scratch cooking has been more difficult
due to lack of staff or training
c. Scratch cooking has been more difficult
due to lack of kitchen equipment
d. Scratch cooking has been more difficult
due to changes in meal service (e.g., use
of grab-and-go meals)
e. I don’t know
f. Other (please specify)
26. What kitchen equipment does your SFA
currently have and need to replace?
Select all that apply.
a. Oven
b. Refrigerator
c. Walk-in refrigerator/freezer
d. Food cabinets
e. Convection steamer
f. Serving lines
g. Food/beverage coolers
h. Dishwashing unit
i. Food bars
j. Tables
k. Range
l. Food warmer
m. Mixer
n. Food carts
o. Ice/hot water dispenser
p. Counter space
q. SFA does not have any kitchen
equipment that needs replacing
r. I don’t know
s. Other (please specify)
27. What kitchen equipment does your SFA
not currently have and need to purchase?
Select all that apply.
a. Oven
b. Refrigerator
c. Walk-in refrigerator/freezer
d. Food cabinets
e. Convection steamer
f. Serving lines
g. Food/beverage coolers
h. Dishwashing unit
i. Food bars
j. Tables
k. Range
l. Food warmer
m. Mixer
n. Food carts
o. Ice/hot water dispenser
p. Counter space
q. SFA does not need to purchase any new
kitchen equipment
r. I don’t know
s. Other (please specify)
28. Did your SFA accept all or some of their
Supply Chain Assistance (SCA) fund?
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
04OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 4, 2022 / Notices
a. Yes, SFA accepted all of it
b. Yes, SFA accepted some of it
c. No
d. I don’t know
29. If your SFA did not accept their Supply
Chain Assistance (SCA) fund, do you
know why? [ASK IF ANSWER Q28 = NO]
a. Didn’t know SCA funds were available
b. Missed deadline to apply for funds
c. Too much time and/or effort required to
apply to receive SCA funds
d. Too much time and/or effort required to
accept and use SCA funds
e. Unclear on the intended use or recipient
of funds
f. Unsure how to code funds in local
accounting system
g. My SFA did not need the SCA fund
h. I don’t know
30. At the end of school year 2021–2022,
what was the status of your school food
service account balance?
a. Operated at a surplus (i.e., revenues
exceeded costs)
b. Broke even (i.e., revenues are about
equal to costs)
c. Operated at a deficit (i.e., costs exceeded
revenues)
31. You indicated your SFA was operating at
a surplus at the end of school year 2021–
2022. To the best of your knowledge,
how has your SFA used surplus funds
(or does your SFA plan to use surplus
funds) for any of the following? Select all
that apply. [ASK IF ANSWER Q30 =
OPERATED AT SURPLUS]
a. Cover the cost of reduced-price meals
b. Hire new staff
c. Increase pay rate for staff
d. Improve meal quality
e. Kitchen equipment repair or
maintenance
f. Purchase new kitchen equipment
g. I don’t know
32. What do you predict will be the status of
your school food service account balance
in the first quarter of school year 2022–
2023?
a. Operate at a surplus (i.e., revenues
exceeded costs)
b. Breakeven (i.e., revenues are about equal
to costs)
c. Operate at a deficit (i.e., costs exceeded
revenues)
33. What else would you like FNS to know
about the challenges your SFA is
experiencing? If there are particular
strategies you would like to use to
address your SFA’s challenges, but you
are experiencing barriers to doing so,
please explain.
[FR Doc. 2022–21512 Filed 10–3–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
National Urban and Community
Forestry Advisory Council
Forest Service, Agriculture
(USDA).
ACTION: Solicitation for members.
AGENCY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:48 Oct 03, 2022
Jkt 259001
The United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking
nominations for members to the
National Urban and Community
Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC)
pursuant the 1990 Farm Bill,
Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act, the
Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (the
Act), and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA). Additional
information on NUCFAC can be found
by visiting the NUCFAC website at:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/managingland/urban-forests/ucf/nucfac.
SUMMARY:
Electronic and written
nominations must be received by
October 19, 2022.
DATES:
Send completed application
packets via email to sm.fs.nucfac@
usda.gov, remembering to send the AD–
755 Form in a separate email. The
subject line should read ‘‘NUCFAC
Nominations (Candidates Name)’’ for
the application packet and ‘‘Encrypted
AD–755 (Candidates Name)’’ for the
AD–755 Form.
Courier submissions of application
packets (on a thumb/flash drive) are also
accepted. Please send to: Nancy
Stremple, Executive Staff to National
Urban and Community Forestry
Advisory Council, 201 14th Street SW,
Sidney Yates Building, Room 3NW–
01B, Washington, DC 20024.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nancy Stremple, Executive Staff to the
National Urban and Community
Forestry Advisory Council, 201 14th
Street SW, Sidney Yates Building, Room
3NW–01B, Washington, DC 20024;
telephone (202) 205–7829, email:
sm.fs.nucfac@usda.gov.
Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
and hard of hearing (TDD) may call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–
877–8339, 24 hours a day, every day of
the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Nominations must contain a completed
application packet that may be
downloaded from the application
website at https://nucfac.org/
application-portal. This includes
instructions on how to nominate and
apply for a position. Note: As part of the
application process, candidates will be
required to submit a signed AD–755
Form (Advisory Committee or Research
and Promotion Background Information)
authorizing the Forest Service to
perform a background check. The AD–
755 Form should be encrypted and
emailed separately to the address in the
ADDRESSES section.
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
60115
Background
In accordance with FACA, the
NUCFAC charter was renewed on June
2, 2022 and USDA is seeking
nominations for membership to the
National Urban and Community
Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC).
Members will advise the Secretary of
Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service and
related Federal agencies on urban and
community forestry and related natural
resources. The duties of NUCFAC
include: developing a national urban
and community forest action plan every
ten years as described in the Act;
evaluating the implementation of that
plan by submitting to the Secretary
annual accomplishments of the action
plan and any amendments to the plan
incorporated into this review, beginning
no later than one year after the plan is
submitted, and annually thereafter; and
annually developing criteria for, and
submitting recommendations with
respect to, the topic categories and
recommendations for grant awards for
the Forest Service’s National Urban and
Community Forestry Challenge Cost
Share Grant Program.
NUCFAC Membership
NUCFAC shall be comprised of 15
members appointed by the Secretary of
Agriculture. Membership will be fairly
balanced in terms of points of view
represented and functions to be
performed. In NUCFACs renewal of the
committee, initial appointments will
introduce staggered terms for its
memberships —
1. 5, including the chairperson and 2
governmental employees, shall be
appointed for a term of 3 years,
2. 5, including 2 governmental
employees, shall be appointed for a term
of 2 years, and
3. 5, including 2 governmental
employees, shall be appointed for a term
of 1 year, as designated by the Secretary
at the time of appointment.
NUCFAC shall include representation
from the following interest areas:
1. Two members representing national
nonprofit forestry and conservation
citizen organizations;
2. Three members, one each
representing State, county, and city and
town governments;
3. One member representing the forest
products, nursery, or related industries;
4. One member representing urban
forestry, landscape, or design
consultants;
5. Two members representing
academic institutions with an expertise
in urban and community forestry
activities;
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
04OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60111-60115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21512]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Special Emergency
Approval of SFA Survey II on School Food Supply Chain Disruptions
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,
this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to
comment on a proposed emergency information collection.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting emergency approval under
the Paperwork Reduction Act to conduct a survey of School Food
Authorities to collect information on the continued impacts of COVID-
19-related supply chain disruptions on the Child Nutrition (CN)
Programs, as well as emerging challenges related to the transition back
to standard school nutrition program operations.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 3, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Sarah Reinhardt, Office of Policy
Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may also be
submitted via email to [email protected]. Comments will also be
accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions for submitting
comments electronically. All responses to this notice will be shared
with the Office of Management and Budget. All comments will be a matter
of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection should be directed to Sarah
Reinhardt at [email protected] or Barbara Murphy at
[email protected] or (703) 305-2532.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
has established regulations for the emergency processing of information
collection requests (ICRs) at 5 CFR 1320.13. OMB can authorize
Emergency Clearance for an information collection for up to 6 months.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed emergency
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions that were used; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology. The draft survey
is included in the appendix to this Notice.
Title: Special Emergency Approval of SFA Survey II on School Food
Supply Chain Disruptions.
OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
Expiration Date: Six months after OMB approval.
Type of Request: Emergency information collection request.
Abstract: FNS is responsible for the administration of the Child
Nutrition programs--including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP),
the School Breakfast Program (SBP), NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO),
the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), the Child and Adult Care Food
Program (CACFP), and others--at the federal level. To inform current
and future policy decisions and effectively oversee these programs, FNS
requires information on how these programs are operating. Although FNS
oversees these programs, SAs administer them through agreements with
SFAs and other local entities that implement the programs at the local
level.
Throughout the pandemic, school nutrition professionals have met
extraordinary challenges to ensure every child can get the food they
need to learn, grow, and thrive. But circumstances in local communities
remain unpredictable, and supply chains for food and labor have been
stressed and at times disrupted. USDA is committed to working together
with state agencies, school food authorities (SFAs), the food industry,
and other stakeholders to communicate these challenges and to identify
solutions.
This is the second survey issued to SFAs that will assist FNS and
its partners to enhance the toolbox for school nutrition professionals
working hard to make sure students have reliable access to healthy
meals. Whereas the first SFA survey focused on challenges and
mitigation strategies related to procuring specific food or non-food
items during the 2021-2022 school year, this survey focuses on food
costs, labor costs, and vendor issues that continue to disrupt school
food service in the 2022-2023 school year, as well as changes in
student participation related to the return to standard operations.
The attached survey has a maximum of 31 questions and is estimated
to take approximately 20 minutes to complete per respondent. FNS is
asking all SFAs that participate in the Child Nutrition Programs to
complete this survey, which will be distributed via email with the
support of state agencies. SFAs will be asked to complete the survey
using an online survey tool and will receive reminders and support
emails from state agencies and FNS as needed. As a result, the total
proposed time burden is 8,840.79 burden hours.
Affected Public: School Food Authorities and state agencies.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of
respondents is 19,106.
[[Page 60112]]
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 5.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: The total estimated number of
responses is 95,315.
Estimated Time per Response: 5.6 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 8,840.79 hours.
Current OMB Inventory: 0.
Difference (Burden Revisions Requested): 8,840.79 hours and 95,315
responses.
Tameka Owens,
Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OMB Control Number: 058XX.
Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix
Draft SFA Survey II on School Food Supply Chain Disruption and Student
Participation
Introduction
Throughout the pandemic, school nutrition professionals have met
extraordinary challenges to ensure every child can get the food they
need to learn, grow, and thrive. As School Food Authorities (SFAs)
across the country begin to return to standard operations in school
year (SY) 2022-2023, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks
to understand the continued challenges SFAs are facing due to
ongoing food and labor supply chain disruptions, as well as the ways
in which this transition is impacting student participation in
nutrition programs.
This survey is mandatory and is intended to ensure the USDA has
national, representative-level information to assess the scope,
reach, and variation in challenges and mitigation strategies. The
survey focuses specifically on the impacts of emerging and
continuing supply chain challenges during school year 2022-2023,
including food costs, labor costs, and vendor issues, as well as
changes in student participation related to the return to standard
school nutrition program operations. The results will be used to
assist USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and its partners to
enhance the toolbox for school nutrition professionals working hard
to make sure students are served healthy and nutritious meals.
The survey has a maximum of 31 questions and is estimated to
take approximately 20 minutes to complete. FNS is asking all SFAs
that participate in the Child Nutrition Programs to complete this
survey by [DATE].
Please note that the survey includes questions about changes in
overall food costs, labor costs, and student participation during
the last several years. If this information is not readily available
to you, we encourage you to provide your best estimates.
We sincerely appreciate your participation in this survey,
particularly as many of you have little time available given the
exceptional levels of effort you are putting into feeding children.
As such, we have made this survey as short and simple to complete as
possible.
We thank you in advance for your contribution to this important
effort.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is collecting this information to
better understand the impacts of school food vendor, cost, and labor
issues on school districts nationwide. This is a mandatory collection.
FNS will use the information to develop tailored resources, tools, and
flexibilities to support school districts in serving students healthy
and nutritious meals. This collection does not represent personally
identifiable information (PII) under the privacy act of 1974. According
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid
OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXXX. The
time required to complete this information collection is estimated to
average 20 minutes (0.33 hours) per response for SFA Directors,
including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320
Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314, ATTN: PRA (0584-XXXX).
Do not return the completed form to this address.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please click Next>> to begin the survey.
1. Since the start of the regular 2022-2023 school year, which Child
Nutrition Programs has your SFA operated? Do not include programs
operated during summer 2022. Select all that apply.
a. National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
b. School Breakfast Program (SBP)
c. NSLP Afterschool Snack Service
d. Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) At-Risk Afterschool
Meals
e. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
f. Special Milk Program (SMP)
g. Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) (select only if SFA
operated SFSP during unanticipated school closures since the start
of the regular 2022-2023 school year)
2. How are the schools in your SFA operating the school lunch and/or
breakfast programs in school year 2022-2023? Select all that apply.
a. Collecting household applications to determine eligibility
for free or reduced-price meals
b. Provision 2/3
c. Community Eligibility Provision
d. Universal free meals offered by state or territory
e. Operating other alternate provisions for NSLP and SBP
f. Operating other alternate provision(s) for only NSLP or only
SBP
3. Which food service model(s) does your SFA use? Select all that
apply.
a. Food Service Management Company (FSMC)
b. Vended meals company (provides meals only)
c. Purchase meals from other schools or central kitchens
d. Self-preparation (independent kitchen, base kitchen, or
production kitchen)
4. What, if any, supply chain-related challenges has your SFA
experienced during school year 2022-2023? Select all that apply.
a. High food costs (compared with a typical pre-pandemic school
year)
b. High labor costs (compared with a typical pre-pandemic school
year)
c. High cost and/or limited availability of food service
materials (e.g., plates, trays, utensils)
d. High cost and/or limited availability of food service
equipment or parts
e. School food service staffing shortages
f. Challenges receiving deliveries on usual days, times, or
locations
g. Receiving incomplete orders with missing or substituted items
h. Receiving items that are damaged or unusable due to
distributor issues
i. Food vendors discontinuing participation in school food
service operations
j. Low number of bids for food service contracts
k. Lack of storage space to store additional food in the event
of shortages
l. SFA has not experienced any challenges with school meal
program operations in school year 2022-2023
m. I don't know
5. Has your SFA experienced any challenges getting USDA Foods
processed end products during school year 2022-2023?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I don't know
d. SFA has not used USDA Foods processing during school year
2022-2023
6. To the best of your knowledge, what factors have contributed to
challenges getting USDA Foods processed end products during school
year 2022-2023? [ASK IF SELECTED Q5 = YES] Select all that apply.
a. Vendor capacity
b. Distributor supply issues
c. Distributor or processor product line reductions (SKU
rationalization)
d. Price increases
e. Inability to purchase as much food as SFA would like to due
to lack of storage space
[[Page 60113]]
f. I don't know
7. What, if any, challenges has your SFA experienced related to the
return to standard operations during school year 2022-2023?
a. Fewer parents/guardians submitting applications for free or
reduced-price meals
b. Challenges verifying or processing applications for free or
reduced-price meals
c. Confusion from students or parents/guardians regarding the
return to standard operations (e.g., changes to meal service,
payment, or applications)
d. Challenges preparing and/or ordering the right amount of food
due to uncertainty in participation
e. Staffing challenges due to changes in meal preparation or
service (e.g., from grab-and-go to cafeteria meals)
f. Unpaid school meal debt
g. SFA has not experienced any challenges related to the return
to standard operations in school year 2022-2023
h. I don't know
8. How are the challenges your SFA is experiencing impacting school
meal operations? Select all that apply. [Randomize display order.]
a. Reduced student participation
b. Reduced sale of nonprogram (competitive) foods
c. Increased competition from nonprogram (competitive) or off-
campus food sales
d. Increased overall program costs
e. Difficulty offering enough reimbursable meals to
participating children due to lack of food
f. Difficulty meeting meal modification requirements for
children with food and nutrition-related disabilities
g. Difficulty adhering to planned menus due to changing or
limited food availability
h. Difficulty complying with meal pattern requirements
i. Difficulty complying with regular procurement requirements
j. Inability to offer afterschool snacks/suppers
k. Increased staff stress or workload
l. Difficulty retaining enough staff with adequate skills and
training
m. Difficulty fulfilling other job requirements, such as
completing federal or state reporting forms, due to time spent
addressing challenges
n. SFA has not experienced any of these impacts in school year
2022-2023
o. I don't know
9. What, if any, purchasing strategies has your SFA used to address
supply chain challenges during school year 2022-2023? Select all
that apply. [Randomize display order.]
a. Aligning product specifications with other SFAs
b. Aligning product specifications with available vendor
products
c. Using cooperative purchasing agreements
d. Increasing use of local vendors and/or working with multiple
vendors
e. Increasing use of USDA Foods direct delivery (brown box)
f. Increasing use of USDA DoD Fresh
g. Leveraging state contracts for bids
h. Conducting emergency procurements
i. Increasing use of micro-purchases
j. Purchasing foods directly from grocery stores or superstores
k. Increasing local food purchases
l. Decreasing local food purchases
m. Requesting shorter bids and/or making more frequent orders
n. Increasing communication with vendors, distributors, and/or
manufacturers to identify available products
o. Planning further ahead and/or placing orders further in
advance
p. SFA has not used any purchasing strategies to address supply
chain challenges in school year 2022-2023
q. I don't know
10. What other strategies has your SFA used to address supply chain
challenges during school year 2022-2023? Select all that apply.
a. Communicating more with parents/guardians about menus and
other changes
b. Increasing use of scratch cooking
c. Decreasing use of scratch cooking
d. Limiting or repeating weekly menu offerings
e. Making more frequent menu substitutions
f. Increasing use of available products across multiple menu
items
g. Using state funding to cover excess costs of serving school
meals
h. Limiting service options (e.g., stopping breakfast in the
classroom)
i. Receiving deliveries at nontraditional days, times, or
locations
j. Picking up orders when usual delivery methods are not
workable
k. SFA has not used any other strategies to address supply chain
challenges in school year 2022-2023
l. I don't know
11. What, if any, actions has your SFA taken in anticipation of the
return to standard operations during school year 2022-2023?
a. Increasing paid lunch prices
b. Using state funding to cover the cost of reduced-price meals
c. Increasing communication with parents/guardians about program
changes (e.g., changes to meal service, payment, or applications)
d. Increasing communication and/or training with staff about
program changes
e. Offering universal school meals or receiving other financial
assistance from the state
f. No longer participating in NSLP
g. No longer participating in SBP
h. No longer participating in other USDA child nutrition
programs (e.g., afterschool snack programs)
i. SFA has not taken any actions in anticipation of the return
to standard operations
j. I don't know
12. You indicated that your SFA has faced challenges due to
increased food costs. To the best of your knowledge, approximately
how much have your food costs increased from a typical pre-pandemic
school year (e.g., 2018-2019)? [ASK IF SELECTED Q4 = HIGH FOOD
COSTS]
a. Less than 10%
b. 10-24%
c. 25-49%
d. 50-74%
e. 75-99%
f. 100% or more
g. I don't know
13. To the best of your knowledge, what factors have contributed to
changes in your food costs? Select all that apply. [ASK IF SELECTED
Q4 = HIGH FOOD COSTS]
a. Changes in student participation in nutrition program(s)
b. Changes in food service vendors, including using new and/or
multiple vendors to obtain food
c. Changes in meal preparation or service (e.g., from scratch
cooking to ready-to-eat meals)
d. Vendors, distributors or manufacturers increased costs
e. Purchasing more food directly from grocery stores or
superstores
f. Purchasing more food last-minute
g. Using own transportation to transport food more frequently
h. Substitutions for unavailable items are more expensive
i. I don't know
j. Other (please specify)
14. You indicated your SFA has faced challenges due to increased
labor costs. To the best of your knowledge, approximately how much
have your labor costs increased from a typical pre-pandemic school
year (e.g., 2018-2019)? [ASK IF SELECTED Q4 = HIGH LABOR COSTS]
a. Less than 10%
b. 10-24%
c. 25-49%
d. 50-74%
e. 75-99%
f. 100% or more
g. I don't know
15. To the best of your knowledge, what factors have contributed to
changes in your labor costs? Select all that apply. [ASK IF SELECTED
Q4 = HIGH LABOR COSTS]
a. Wage increases due to factors beyond SFA control (e.g., state
minimum wage increase)
b. Wage increases implemented by SFA to hire and/or retain staff
c. Need to hire additional staff for basic program operations
d. Need to hire additional staff to support scratch cooking
e. Increased overtime for existing staff
f. Staff turnover and training
g. I don't know
h. Other (please specify)
16. You indicated your SFA has faced challenges leading to reduced
student participation. To the best of your knowledge, approximately
how much has student participation decreased across the child
nutrition programs your SFA operates since the start of last school
year (2021-2022)? [ASK IF
[[Page 60114]]
SELECTED Q8 = REDUCED STUDENT PARTICIPATION]
a. Less than 10%
b. 10-24%
c. 25-49%
d. 50-74%
e. 75-99%
f. I don't know
17. To the best of your knowledge, what factors have contributed to
decreases in student participation? Select all that apply. [ASK IF
SELECTED Q8 = REDUCED STUDENT PARTICIPATION]
a. Fewer parents/guardians submitting applications for free or
reduced-price meals
b. Challenges verifying or processing applications for free or
reduced-price meals
c. Confusion from students or parents/guardians regarding the
return to standard operations (e.g., changes to meal service,
payment, or applications)
d. Difficulty purchasing enough food to meet student demand
e. Student dissatisfaction with menus and/or meals
f. Shortage of staff, time, equipment, or materials required for
scratch cooking
g. Reduced sale of nonprogram (competitive) foods
h. Decrease in enrollment
i. Meals are no longer free for all students
j. I don't know
k. Other (please specify)
18. In general, how did student participation in your SFA's child
nutrition programs last school year (2021-2022) compare with
participation in a typical pre-pandemic school year (e.g., 2018-
2019)?
a. Greater than pre-pandemic participation
b. Less than pre-pandemic participation
c. About the same as pre-pandemic participation
d. I don't know
19. You indicated your SFA has received incomplete orders with
missing or substituted items. To the best of your knowledge, how
frequently do you receive incomplete orders with missing or
substituted items? [ASK IF SELECTED Q4 = RECEIVING INCOMPLETE ORDERS
WITH MISSING OR SUBSTITUTED ITEMS]
a. Rarely
b. Sometimes
c. About half of the time
d. Most of the time
e. Almost always or always
20. To the best of your knowledge, when you receive an incomplete
order with missing or substituted items, approximately how many
items in the order are affected? [ASK IF SELECTED Q4 = RECEIVING
INCOMPLETE ORDERS WITH MISSING OR SUBSTITUTED ITEMS]
a. Few
b. About a quarter of items
c. About half of items
d. About three quarters of items
e. All or almost all items
21. You indicated your SFA has experienced food companies
discontinuing participation in school food service operations. To
the best of your knowledge, which of the following factors are
driving this change? Select all that apply. [ASK IF SELECTED Q4 =
FOOD VENDORS DISCONTINUING PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE
OPERATIONS]
a. Federal, state, or local procurement regulations (please
specify)
b. Labor shortages
c. Food shortages
d. Labor costs
e. Food costs
f. Energy or fuel costs
g. Difficulty producing items that meet SFA specifications
h. Difficulty guaranteeing prices for bids due to changes in
food costs
i. School food operations are no longer profitable
j. I don't know
k. Other (please specify)
22. You indicated your SFA increased its local food purchases during
school year 2022-2023 due to supply chain challenges. To the best of
your knowledge, what factors contributed to this decision? Select
all that apply. [ASK IF SELECTED Q9 = INCREASING LOCAL FOOD
PURCHASES]
a. Local foods have been easier to find
b. Local foods have been more affordable to purchase
c. Policies, programs, or performance goals at the state or
local level encourage local food purchasing
d. SFA received grant or funding to purchase more local foods
e. SFA received useful information or training on purchasing
local foods
f. I don't know
g. Other (please specify)
23. You indicated your SFA decreased its local food purchases during
school year 2022-2023 due to supply chain challenges. To the best of
your knowledge, what factors contributed to this decision? Select
all that apply. [ASK IF SELECTED Q9 = DECREASING LOCAL FOOD
PURCHASES]
a. Local foods have been more difficult to find
b. Local foods have been more expensive to purchase
c. Local foods have been more difficult to process or prepare
due to lack of staff or training
d. Local foods have been more difficult to process or prepare
due to kitchen equipment
e. Local foods have been more difficult to prepare or serve due
to changes in meal service (e.g., use of grab-and-go meals)
f. I don't know
g. Other (please specify)
24. You indicated your SFA increased its use of scratch cooking
during school year 2022-2023 due to supply chain challenges. To the
best of your knowledge, what factors contributed to this decision?
Select all that apply. [ASK IF SELECTED Q10 = INCREASING USE OF
SCRATCH COOKING]
a. Scratch cooking has helped reduce program costs
b. Scratch cooking has helped utilize bulk or commodity foods
c. Policies, programs, or performance goals at the state or
local level encourage scratch cooking
d. SFA received grant or funding to support scratch cooking
e. SFA received useful information or training on scratch
cooking
f. I don't know
g. Other (please specify)
25. You indicated your SFA decreased its use of scratch cooking
during school year 2022-2023 due to supply chain challenges. To the
best of your knowledge, what factors contributed to this decision?
Select all that apply. [ASK IF SELECTED Q10 = DECREASING USE OF
SCRATCH COOKING]
a. Scratch cooking has been more difficult due to cost or
availability of ingredients
b. Scratch cooking has been more difficult due to lack of staff
or training
c. Scratch cooking has been more difficult due to lack of
kitchen equipment
d. Scratch cooking has been more difficult due to changes in
meal service (e.g., use of grab-and-go meals)
e. I don't know
f. Other (please specify)
26. What kitchen equipment does your SFA currently have and need to
replace? Select all that apply.
a. Oven
b. Refrigerator
c. Walk-in refrigerator/freezer
d. Food cabinets
e. Convection steamer
f. Serving lines
g. Food/beverage coolers
h. Dishwashing unit
i. Food bars
j. Tables
k. Range
l. Food warmer
m. Mixer
n. Food carts
o. Ice/hot water dispenser
p. Counter space
q. SFA does not have any kitchen equipment that needs replacing
r. I don't know
s. Other (please specify)
27. What kitchen equipment does your SFA not currently have and need
to purchase? Select all that apply.
a. Oven
b. Refrigerator
c. Walk-in refrigerator/freezer
d. Food cabinets
e. Convection steamer
f. Serving lines
g. Food/beverage coolers
h. Dishwashing unit
i. Food bars
j. Tables
k. Range
l. Food warmer
m. Mixer
n. Food carts
o. Ice/hot water dispenser
p. Counter space
q. SFA does not need to purchase any new kitchen equipment
r. I don't know
s. Other (please specify)
28. Did your SFA accept all or some of their Supply Chain Assistance
(SCA) fund?
[[Page 60115]]
a. Yes, SFA accepted all of it
b. Yes, SFA accepted some of it
c. No
d. I don't know
29. If your SFA did not accept their Supply Chain Assistance (SCA)
fund, do you know why? [ASK IF ANSWER Q28 = NO]
a. Didn't know SCA funds were available
b. Missed deadline to apply for funds
c. Too much time and/or effort required to apply to receive SCA
funds
d. Too much time and/or effort required to accept and use SCA
funds
e. Unclear on the intended use or recipient of funds
f. Unsure how to code funds in local accounting system
g. My SFA did not need the SCA fund
h. I don't know
30. At the end of school year 2021-2022, what was the status of your
school food service account balance?
a. Operated at a surplus (i.e., revenues exceeded costs)
b. Broke even (i.e., revenues are about equal to costs)
c. Operated at a deficit (i.e., costs exceeded revenues)
31. You indicated your SFA was operating at a surplus at the end of
school year 2021-2022. To the best of your knowledge, how has your
SFA used surplus funds (or does your SFA plan to use surplus funds)
for any of the following? Select all that apply. [ASK IF ANSWER Q30
= OPERATED AT SURPLUS]
a. Cover the cost of reduced-price meals
b. Hire new staff
c. Increase pay rate for staff
d. Improve meal quality
e. Kitchen equipment repair or maintenance
f. Purchase new kitchen equipment
g. I don't know
32. What do you predict will be the status of your school food
service account balance in the first quarter of school year 2022-
2023?
a. Operate at a surplus (i.e., revenues exceeded costs)
b. Breakeven (i.e., revenues are about equal to costs)
c. Operate at a deficit (i.e., costs exceeded revenues)
33. What else would you like FNS to know about the challenges your
SFA is experiencing? If there are particular strategies you would
like to use to address your SFA's challenges, but you are
experiencing barriers to doing so, please explain.
[FR Doc. 2022-21512 Filed 10-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
