School Food Authorities (SFAs) participating in the NSLP must ensure sufficient funds are provided to the nonprofit school food service account for meals served to students not eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Per 7 CFR 210.14(e ) School Food Authorities (SFA’s) are required to establish prices for paid lunches at a price that is, on average, equal to the difference between free meal reimbursement and the paid meal reimbursement. This requirement is referred to as Paid Lunch Equity.

Some SFA's meeting certain criteria may qualify for an exemption to the PLE requirement. See Below:

SFAs Qualifying for the SY 2024-2025 PLE Exemption

For SY 2024-2025, SFAs with a positive or zero balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2023, intending to implement the exemption from PLE pricing requirements must communicate this intent to ODE Child Nutrition Programs by completing this online Paid Lunch Equity Reporting Form. To complete this form, SFA’s will be required to provide a copy of the nonprofit food service balance sheet as of June 30, 2023.

SFAs Not Qualifying for the SY 2024-2025 PLE Exemption

SFAs that had a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2023, must follow PLE requirements according to 7 CFR 210.14(e) when establishing their paid lunch prices for SY 2024-2025. SFAs must use the USDA’s SY 2024-2025 PLE tool to determine the required paid lunch prices.

In the PLE tool SFAs may use the prices last charged to students as the basis for their SY 2024-2025 paid lunch price calculation, even if those prices were charged during a year the SFA was not required to comply with PLE requirements. For example, SFAs that received flexibility under the PLE waiver during SY 2023-2024 or that were exempt based on the FY 2023 Appropriations Act may use prices charged during SY 2023-2024 to determine their PLE requirement for SY 2024-2025.