A Modest Proposal?

Dec 1, 2009 12:00 PM, John Lawn

LA school district wants to change the way commodity distribution works in California.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may enter into an agreement with a State agency, acting on the request of a school food service authority, under which funds payable to the State under section 4 or 11 may be used by the Secretary for the purpose of purchasing commodities for use by the school food service authority in meals served under the school lunch program under this Act.”

—from the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, SEC. 7. [42 U.S.C. 1756] of Public Law 109-97 as amended November 10, 2005

At the same time, “the devil is in the details” in terms of how such changes would have to be handled in practice, she adds. “These matters will be complicated and cannot be changed over night.”

Bramson-Paul says such a change would raise numerous practical issues that have to be thought through and addressed. Among them: how and by when could such changes be accomodated in state-wide reimbursement procedures; the amount of funds LAUSD would want to be offset from the district's meal reimbursements; and whether such offsets could be handled manually.

Also complicating matters: how the new approach might be accommodated within a web based reimbursement system USDA has just implemented for the school meal programs and is in the process of implementing for other programs it administers. (USDA is also implementing a new web-based commodity ordering system in the beginning of 2010).

On the issue of changing the way USDA Section 32 commodity credits for schools are distributed, Bramson-Paul says that “my understanding is that authority to make the kinds of changes LAUSD has talked about does not rest with the states, but is a federal matter.”

Looking for a more conclusive answer, FM also contacted USDA's Food and Nutrition Services department in Washington. While officials there would not speak for the record, a public affairs spokesperson said that “USDA has not received a formal request regarding the Los Angeles Unified School District, which would come through the State agency.

“Because we have not seen anything in writing, USDA would not be able to comment on the proposition.”

If the past is any guide, USDA has often sought to test new ideas with limited scope pilot projects, although that might prove difficult in this case because many large commodity receiving entities in California would likely want similar arrangements made.

For its part, LAUSD says it is continuing to make its case. But if it can not make headway before procurement bids are let for the 2010-2011 school year, “We may simply decide to not participate in the commodity program next year,” says Binkle.

“Our larger objectives are focused on improving the district's school meal quality and procurement efficiency. The way the commodity program operates for us now, we don't believe it effectively supports either objective.”