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SY 24-25 Paid Lunch Equity Tool
School Nutrition Program ~ June 2024
The 24-25 PLE Tool is available!
The Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) tool is provided by USDA for School Food Authorities to calculate the average weighted price of the paid lunch meal prices.
School Food Authorities use the PLE tool to calculate the paid lunch price(s) requirement and/or non-Federal source contributions to meet the requirements specified in 7 CFR 210.14€.
Who should complete the PLE Tool?
Texas Department of Agriculture suggests ALL School Food Authorities who charge a student meal price.
Administration & Forms for NSLP
Make sure you download the 2024-25 PLE Tool.
*Receiving an error message? You don't have the updated Excel version to operate the tool. Try opening the tool in a Google drive.
What data is required to complete the PLE Tool?
- previous SY PLE tool completed
- October 2023 paid lunch price(s)
- October 2023 number of paid lunch price meals claimed per each price charged
What data is required if the SY 23-24 average weighted price is not available?
- October 2010 paid lunch price(s)
- October 2010 number of paid lunch price meals claimed per each price charged
What if I did not charge for student meals during SY 23-24?
What PLE Tool tabs are required to complete?
- Instructions tab - Type SFA Name at the top of the page
- SY 24-25 Requirement Calculator
- SY 24-25 Price Raise Calculator
- SY 24-25 Report
What if my district wants to supplement instead of increase the prices?
- SY 24-25 Non-Federal Calculator - This tab is to calculate the supplemented amount from a nonfederal source instead of increasing paid lunch prices.
- SY 24-25 Split Calculator - This tab is to calculate the supplemented amount from a nonfederal source when increasing less than the required amount.
Is there an exemption to not raise the paid price(s)?
For SY 2024-2025, SFAs with a positive or zero balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2023, are exempt from PLE pricing requirements found at 7 CFR 210.14(e).
*You must have proof of SNP fund balance as of June 30, 2023.
PLE Tool Issues and Errors:
Functionality issues and errors have been reported with the recently released Paid Lunch Equity tool for districts using older versions of Microsoft Excel, dating back to at least the 2016 version (TDA has not received any notification about versions later than 2016).
USDA has indicated that a version compatible with older versions will not be released.
PLE Tool Troubleshooting:
You may open the PLE Tool in Google Drive to prevent error messages. However, you may not have the drop-down arrow available on the SY 24-25 Report tab. Suggestion: type your selection on the box, save & print.
Reminder: SY 24-25 Application due! SNP 7/1 ~ CEP 6/30
See the School Nutrition Program application instructions here.
If you are a school with meal prices then you distribute meal applications. Attachment B Upload is an added step to the application for uploading the meal applications and letters.
- TXUNPS SNP manual for application system instructions.
Attachment B: Upload Attachments
Directions for Uploading Certification and Benefit Issuance Documentation in TX-UNPS SNP-134
Starting School Year (SY) 2020-2021 and each SY forward, each CE must provide its certification and benefit issuance templates to TDA. To streamline the submission, TDA has developed a tool for collecting these documents that is located in TX-UNPS | Application Screen | Attachment B: Upload Attachments.
CEs that operate CE-wide Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 (P2) in a Non-Base Year are not required to upload household applications, directions, and notification letters.
Directions for document submission are located in TX-UNPS | Application Screen | Download Forms | SNP Form 134, Directions for Uploading Certification and Benefit Issuance Documentation in TX-UNPS. This module opens on July 1 and close on October 31.
Child Nutrition Programs Contacts
Cindy Scott
CN Program Specialist
936-435-8234
Dina Herrick
CN Program Specialist
936-435-8244
Julie A. Smith
CN Program Specialist
936-435-8238
Tona Holcombe
CN Program Administrative Assistant
936-435-8236
Refer to squaremeals.org for updated guidance on the SNP.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. This program is funded by the USDA.