Alaska school districts face dual June 30 meal-program deadlines

Alaska school districts face two June 30 deadlines that determine whether eligible schools can offer no-cost meals to students next year and whether outstanding meal-program claims get paid.

Two Deadlines, One Date

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development requires school food authorities to submit Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) election workbooks through Smartsheet by June 30. A site must have an Identified Student Percentage of 25 percent or higher to qualify. Under the program, breakfast and lunch must be offered at no cost to all enrolled students at a CEP school. Districts that wish to elect a new CEP cycle must notify DEED by June 30 through the Smartsheet submission process. Districts that expected a CEP workbook but have not received one should contact DEED before the deadline.

Paid Lunch Equity tool results are also due June 30, whether or not a district is exempt from raising prices. Rachel Spencer, the School Nutrition Program Coordinator, asks that completed PLE tools be emailed to [email protected]. Districts with claims in error status must contact Child Nutrition well before the 60-day cutoff, as those claims cannot be paid.

Claim-month submissions carry their own schedule. April claims were due May 30 and are accepted late until June 29. May claims are due June 30, with late submissions accepted until July 30.

Spencer can be reached at [email protected] or 907-269-6578. Child Nutrition Program Manager Adrianne Schwartz is available at [email protected].

Other Upcoming Dates

The Child Nutrition Annual Conference is scheduled for July 28 through 30, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., held virtually via Microsoft Teams. The Healthy Futures Fall 2026 Challenge launches September 1 statewide, offering incentives to Alaska elementary school students who are active at least 60 minutes a day, 15 days a month, and record their activity on the Healthy Futures Activity Log.