Professional Standards for School Nutrition Professionals

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's USDA final rule, Professional Standards for State and Local School Nutrition Programs Personnel as Required by the HHFKA of 2010, requires minimum education standards and annual training standards for school nutrition professionals who manage and operate the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). These standards ensure that school nutrition personnel have the knowledge, training, and tools needed to plan, prepare, and purchase healthy products to create nutritious, safe, and enjoyable school meals.

The minimum education standards are hiring standards that apply to new school nutrition program directors based on a school district’s size. For more information, refer to the USDA's, Professional Standards for School Nutrition Program Professionals: Summary of Updates Effective May 2019.
The annual training standards apply to all school nutrition program directors, managers, and staff. The chart below summarizes the required continuing education hours per year. The required training topic areas vary according to the position and job requirements. For detailed guidance, refer to the USDA's Guide to Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs.

Minimum Annual Training Requirements for School Nutrition Employees *
Job Category	Continuing Education Hours
Directors	12
Managers	10
All Other Staff (other than the director or manager) who works an average of at least 20 hours per week	6
Part-time Staff (work less than 20 hours per week)	4
Mid-year Hires in All Categories (January 1 or later)	Half of training requirement for each job category
* Annual requirements apply to the 12 months between July 1 and June 30.

CSDE Superintendent Memo (October 16, 2019): Hiring and Professional Standards for School Child Nutrition Program Personnel
CSDE State Discretion for Professional Standards (USDA and CSDE)
Guide to Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs (USDA)
Professional Standards Requirements (USDA webpage)
USDA Memo SP 38-2016: Questions & Answers (Q&As) on the Final Rule “Professional Standards for State and Local School Nutrition Programs Personnel as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010”