Paid Lunch Equity (PLE)

Lunch Pricing – School Food Service Account Revenue

In Section 760 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6) (the Appropriations Act), Congress provides that only school food authorities (SFAs) that had a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of December 31, 2019, shall be required to establish prices for paid lunches according to the Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) provisions in Section 12(p) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. 1760(p) and implemented in National School Lunch Program regulations at 7 CFR 210.14(e).

Consistent with the terms of the Appropriations Act, this memorandum provides notice that any SFA with a positive or zero balance in its nonprofit school food service account as of December 31, 2019, is exempt from PLE pricing requirements found at 7 CFR 210.14(e) for school year (SY) 2020-21. SFAs that had a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of December 31, 2019, must follow PLE requirements when establishing their prices for paid lunches in SY 2020-21.

Below is the SY 2020-21 Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) Tool to assist SFAs as they make these required calculations.

• Paid Lunch Equity: School Year 2020-20201
  • SP 07-2020- Policy Memorandum
  • PLE Calulation Tool SY 20-21

• Paid Lunch Equity: School Year 2019-2020
  • SP 27-2019 – Policy Memorandum
  • PLE Calculation Tool SY 19-20
  • Instructions for completing the PLE Calculation Tool
    

• Paid Lunch Equity: School Year 2018-2019
  • SP12-2018s – Policy Memorandum
  • PLE Calculation Tool SY 18-19
  • PLE Exemption Procedure for SY 18-19

• Policy Memorandums
  • SP 19-2015 PLE Exemptions
  • USDA Memo SP 39-2011 – Q & A’s
  • SP 03-2015 PLE Calculations & Tool.pdf
  • SP 03-2015 – Revised.pdf
  • SP1-2014 PLE: SY 2014-15 Calculations Memorandum.pdf
  • SP 15-2014 PLE: SY 2014-15 Calculations & Tool Memonradum.pdf
  • SP 25-2013 Memorandum.pdf
  • SP19-2013 Paid Lunch Equity: School Year 2013-2014 Calculations.pdf
  • Equity in School Lunch Pricing Fact Sheet.pdf
• Interim Rule: National School Lunch Program: School Food Service Account Revenue Amendments Related to Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (6/13/11)
  • USDA Memo SP 22-2012 Paid Lunch Equity: School Year 2012-2013 Calculation Tool.pdf
  • USDA Memo SP 39-2011 Guidance on Paid Lunch Equity and Revenue from Non program Foods.pdf
• Presentations
  • School Year 2012-2013 Paid Lunch Equity Tool.pdf – presentation March 21, 2011