National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

Teacher of the Year Ceremony
Due to inclement weather, the Teacher of the Year Ceremony has been postponed to December 16, 2025 from 5-7pm. Doors will open at 4pm. The Ceremony will take place at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, and the order of events will remain the same.

National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

Overview

School Nutrition Programs | Program Guidance | Forms | Resources | Nutrition Education

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It operates in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions (RCCIs). The NSLP provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. It was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.

Quick links for the NSLP

Claim Submission Schedule for Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Crediting Foods for Grades K-12 in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Crediting Foods for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
CSDE Operational Memorandum No. 03-22: Updated Requirements for Lunch Periods in the National School Lunch Program
(NSLP)
CSDE Operational Memorandum No. 4-17: Guidance on Unpaid Meal Charges and Collection of Delinquent Meal Payment
CSDE Operational Memorandum No. 11-22: Connecticut Statutory Requirements for Unpaid Meal Charges in Public Schools
Direct Certification for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Eligibility for Free and Reduced-price Meals and Free Milk in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Fact Sheet: National School Lunch Program (USDA)
Forms for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Key Information for Connecticut School Business Officials About School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
Meal Patterns for Preschoolers in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Meal Patterns for Grades K-12 in School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Menu Planning Guide for Preschoolers in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program (CSDE)
Menu Planning Guide for School Meals for Grades K-12 (CSDE webpage)
Meal Pattern Training for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Online Application and Claiming System for Connecticut Child Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
- Procedures, User IDs, Passwords and Access for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE)
Operational Memoranda for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
Program Guidance for School Nutrition Programs (CSDE webpage)
School Lunch Tray and Table Talk (CSDE webpage)

Nondiscrimination Statements (USDA and CSDE)