TL;DR: North Dakota's June 2026 school nutrition update explains new federal milk choices, carries forward added-sugars limits, and sets paid-lunch pricing rules for 2026-2027.

North Dakota school food authorities received June guidance covering fluid milk options, product-based added-sugars limits, paid lunch equity for school year 2026-2027, and summer food-storage temperature checks, according to the June School Nutrition Newsletter published June 19, 2026.

The update also arrived in the same week lawmakers adopted a biennial cost range for a statewide free-meals ballot proposal, according to reporting titled Lawmakers adopt cost estimate for North Dakota school meal ballot measure.

80th Anniversary Marked At New Manager Training

The Child Nutrition & Food Distribution team marked the 80th anniversary of the signing of the National School Lunch Act during New Kitchen Manager Training on June 4, 2026, according to the June School Nutrition Newsletter.

The training welcomed new kitchen managers into school cafeteria roles.

The newsletter message told managers they play a vital role in creating a cafeteria where students are nourished and feel welcomed each day.

The same message told managers their work has a lasting impact.

State Agencies Told To Share New USDA Guidance

State agencies must distribute any new guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to program operators, according to the June School Nutrition Newsletter.

The newsletter listed three USDA memos for school nutrition program operators.

It directed readers to the Updates tab on the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction website for the most recent USDA memos.

The site section is labeled UPDATES | North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

The newsletter said to expect many more new USDA memos at the beginning of next school year.

Those future memos will address changes to the school breakfast and lunch program meal pattern to align with the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025.

The same coming memos will address the USDA/DHHS Eat Real Food campaign.

SP 08-2026 Expands Fluid Milk Options

Memo SP 08-2026, titled Expanding Fluid Milk Options in Child Nutrition Programs, codifies and expands the school nutrition programs allowed to offer whole milk and skim milk, according to the June School Nutrition Newsletter.

Covered meals include breakfast, lunch, afterschool snack and pre-K meals.

Saturated fat from milk may be excluded in the calculation of dietary specifications.

Calories from any milk type must be included in the calculation for those dietary specifications.

Sodium from any milk type must be included in the calculation for those dietary specifications.

Beginning July 1, 2027, added sugars from any milk type must be included in the calculation for those dietary specifications.

A separate Minnesota bulletin for the week of June 15, 2026 described the related final rule, Expanding Fluid Milk Options in Child Nutrition Programs, as allowing whole and reduced-fat milk for participants two years and older through the Child and Adult Care Food Program, School Breakfast Program and Special Milk Program.

That bulletin said the National School Lunch Program was not included in the final rule because the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act already allows those milk options for school lunch.

It pointed readers to implementation memo SP 08-2026, CACFP 04-2026 for information.

SP 07-2026 Restates Added-Sugars Limits From Last Year

Memo SP 07-2026, titled School Meal Programs: Reviewing Product-Based Added Sugars Limits for Breakfast Cereals, Flavored Milk, and Yogurt, restates product-based limits implemented during the prior school year, according to the June School Nutrition Newsletter.

Breakfast cereal may contain no more than 6 grams of added sugar per dry ounce.

Yogurt may contain no more than 2 grams of added sugar per ounce.

Flavored milk may contain no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8-ounce serving.

Menu planners can use the three thresholds when reviewing breakfast cereals, yogurt and flavored milk for school meal programs.

The limits apply by product rather than as a weekly dietary-specification calculation.

SP 06-2026 Sets Paid Lunch Equity Path For 2026-2027

Memo SP 06-2026 provides Paid Lunch Equity guidance for school year 2026-2027, according to the June School Nutrition Newsletter.

School food authorities with a negative foodservice fund balance on June 30, 2025 must complete the Paid Lunch Equity tool.

All other school food authorities can request an exemption during the school year 2026-2027 renewal process.

Operators can contact [email protected] for a copy of the PLE tool.

The newsletter included a four-part Paid Lunch Equity Tool Q&A for school year 2026-2027.

First, school food authorities with a positive or zero balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2025 are exempt from PLE pricing requirements found at 7 CFR 210.14(e).

To apply for the exemption, operators complete the attestation in Sponsor details during the program renewal process.

Once the information is completed and the renewal has been approved, that record serves as the record of exemption.

School food authorities with a negative balance are required to submit a PLE tool for 2026-2027 to ensure prices comply with PLE pricing requirements.

The form has been released.

Operators seeking that form are asked to contact [email protected] for a copy.

Second, a district with a negative balance cannot set a paid-lunch price solely based on the amount it wishes to charge.

Those authorities must charge at least the minimum price determined by their PLE tool.

The target price for a paid meal during school year 2026-2027 is $4.16, although an authority may be lower or higher than the target price.

Authorities with a zero or positive balance may choose to complete the PLE tool to calculate a student paid-lunch price for 2026-2027.

Completion is not required for those authorities, but it is recommended to help ensure paid prices can continue to cover expenses.

The newsletter listed pricing considerations including expected reimbursement.

It explained that reimbursement is based on individual eligibility.

It explained that a school will receive the same reimbursement amount regardless of the paid lunch price charged.

Other listed considerations include labor shortages and potential wage increases.

Increased food costs were listed as another consideration.

Fluctuation in participation was listed as another consideration.

Meal quality was listed as another consideration, with the reminder that quality should not decrease if a school decides to lower paid lunch prices.

Third, schools need to complete a form step even when they choose not to complete the PLE tool and instead seek the waiver.

They must complete the attestation that is part of the National School Lunch Program program renewal process located on the Sponsor details page.

Fourth, the newsletter addressed whether a 10-cent cap applies when a school does not seek the waiver.

Consistent with 7 CFR 210.14(e)(4)(i), school food authorities are not required to raise their paid lunch price by more than 10 cents for school year 2026-2027 from the last year they charged for paid lunches.

Authorities may still choose to raise the price by more than 10 cents.

Schools can determine the needed charge by analyzing projected income and expenses for the upcoming year.

In years when the PLE tool is required, it calculates the required price increase but will not require an increase greater than 10 cents in any year.

Schools retain the option to raise prices higher if needed to cover expenses, while program rules would not require more than a 10-cent increase in a year.

For additional questions, operators were directed to email [email protected] with PLE Tool in the subject line.

Summer Food Storage Requires Temperature Records

Food-storage areas holding food during the summer must have temperatures recorded at least every three days during vacation periods, according to the June School Nutrition Newsletter.

If foodservice staff are not available to check, maintenance or administration staff can add the check to summer responsibilities.

The newsletter described the check as a quick but important duty.

Operators preparing for future equipment funding were advised that a coming round of equipment grants could be an opportunity to install remote temperature-monitoring equipment on all food-storage areas.

Sensors, software and installation can add up quickly, the newsletter said.

Recorded monitoring is intended to ensure food remains safely stored until students return.

Free-Meals Ballot Cost Estimate Adopted In Same Week

The Department of Public Instruction estimates implementation of the free school meals ballot measure at $124.3 million to $134.3 million every two years, according to reporting titled Lawmakers adopt cost estimate for North Dakota school meal ballot measure.

Legislative Management, a committee with members from the House and Senate, voted to use the new estimate as the fiscal estimate for Measure 3 on the general election ballot.

The cost analysis will appear next to the ballot measure language on the Secretary of State's website.

Lynelle Johnson, director of child nutrition and food distribution for the Department of Public Instruction, presented the estimate to lawmakers.

Officials revised the range after talking with nine other states that established similar programs.

The revised range was slightly lower than estimates presented to lawmakers in December.

Johnson based the new estimate on participation in federally subsidized free and reduced-cost school meal programs in other states that offer free school meals.

She said more schools are expected to use other reimbursement programs, including SNAP, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and Medicaid, for income verification to automatically qualify for the federal school meals program.

Johnson said cautious assumptions had been used over the prior two years because officials were unsure how many families would still complete applications.

An application to receive free or reduced school meals requires families to provide household income data to establish how much of the meal cost would be reimbursed through the federal or state government.

About 125,000 students attend schools that participate in the federal school lunch program in North Dakota.

Only a few thousand students attend smaller public schools, private schools, or are homeschooled, that do not participate in the program.

Johnson said North Dakota could follow Vermont's model for universal school meals.

In that state, schools are required to participate in other reimbursement programs, which automatically enroll students at the federal level for school meals programs.

Automatic enrollment could reduce reliance on annual income-verification applications submitted by parents to schools.

Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, a member of Legislative Management, said she worries that people will stop applying for the free or reduced meals program and costs will rise because the state will receive less federal funding.

Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, D-Fargo, said feeding about 125,000 students a meal for about 175 days per year is an investment.

The Secretary of State's Office approved and verified more than 49,000 petition signatures to place Measure 3 on the ballot.

If approved by voters, the free school meals program will take effect for the 2027-28 school year.

Private and tribal K-12 schools would be able to opt in to the program.

The measure specifies that the state's Legacy Fund would be used to pay for free breakfasts and lunches unless the Legislature identifies other funding.

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