CHAPTER 283A
SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS

  283A.1  Definitions.
  For the purpose of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
  1.  “Nutritionally adequate meal” means a lunch or breakfast which meets the guidelines established by the department of education.
  2.  “School” means a public school of high school grade or under.
  3.  “School board” means a board of school directors regularly elected by the registered voters of a school corporation or district of the state of Iowa.
  4.  “School breakfast or lunch program” means a program under which breakfasts or lunches are served by any public school in the state of Iowa on a nonprofit basis to children in attendance, including any such program under which a school receives assistance out of funds appropriated by the Congress of the United States.
[C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.1]
90 Acts, ch 1152, §2
; 94 Acts, ch 1169, §58
; 94 Acts, ch 1193, §23
; 2014 Acts, ch 1092, §61

  283A.2  School lunch and breakfast programs.
  1.  School boards may use gifts, funds disbursed to them under the provisions of this chapter, funds received from sale of school breakfasts or lunches, and any other funds legally available for the purpose of operating a school breakfast or lunch program.
  2.  A school district shall operate or provide for the operation of lunch programs at all attendance centers in the district. A school district may operate or provide for the operation of school breakfast programs at all attendance centers in the district, or provide access to a school breakfast program at an alternative site to students who wish to participate in a school breakfast program. The programs shall provide students with nutritionally adequate meals and shall be operated in compliance with the rules of the state board of education and pertinent federal law and regulation. The school lunch program shall be provided for all students in each district who attend public school four or more hours each school day and wish to participate in a school lunch program. School districts may provide school breakfast and lunch programs for other students.
  3.  Each school district that operates or provides for a school breakfast or lunch program shall provide for the forwarding of information from the applications for the school breakfast or lunch program, for which federal funding is provided, to identify children for enrollment in the medical assistance program pursuant to chapter 249A or the healthy and well kids in Iowa program pursuant to chapter 514I to the department of human services.
[C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.2]
90 Acts, ch 1152, §3
; 
94 Acts, ch 1193, §24, 36, 38
; 
99 Acts, ch 147, §1, 2
; 
2000 Acts, ch 1223, §32
; 
2002 Acts, ch 1140, §24, 25
; 
2007 Acts, ch 218, §105

  283A.3  Expenditure of federal funds.
  The director of the department of education shall accept and direct the disbursement of funds appropriated by any Act of Congress and appropriated to the state of Iowa for use in connection with school breakfast or lunch programs. The director shall deposit the funds with the treasurer of the state of Iowa, who shall make disbursements upon the direction of the director.
[C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.3]
85 Acts, ch 212, §21
; 
94 Acts, ch 1193, §25

  283A.4  Administration of program.
  The director of the department of education may enter into agreements with any agency of the federal government, with any school board, or with any other agency or person, adopt rules, employ personnel, and take other action as the director may deem necessary to provide for the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of any school breakfast or lunch program, and to direct the disbursement of federal and state funds, in accordance with any applicable provisions of federal or state law. The director may give technical advice and assistance to any school board in connection with the establishment and operation of any school breakfast or lunch program and may assist in training personnel engaged in the operation of the program. The director of the department of education and any school board may accept any gift for use in connection with any school breakfast or lunch program.
[C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.4]
85 Acts, ch 212, §21, 22
; 
94 Acts, ch 1193, §26

  283A.5  Accounts, records, reports, and operations.
  The director of the department of education shall adopt rules for the keeping of accounts and records and the making of reports by or under the supervision of school boards. The accounts and records shall at all times be available for inspection and audit by authorized officials and shall be preserved for such period of time, not in excess of five years, as the director may lawfully prescribe. The director shall conduct or cause to be conducted such audits and inspections with respect to school breakfast or lunch programs as may be necessary to determine whether its agreement with school boards and rules adopted pursuant to this chapter are being complied with, and to insure that school breakfast or lunch programs are effectively administered and nutritionally adequate meals are served.
[C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.5]
85 Acts, ch 212, §21
; 
90 Acts, ch 1152, §4
; 
94 Acts, ch 1193, §27
  283A.6  Repealed by 73 Acts, ch 10, §7. 

  283A.7  Federal benefits accepted.
  The provisions of the federal National School Lunch Act and the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1751 – 1785, and the benefit of all funds appropriated under the Acts, are accepted by the state of Iowa.
[C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.7]
94 Acts, ch 1193, §28

  283A.8  Use of school meal facilities by senior citizens.
  Boards of directors of school corporations may authorize the use by senior citizen organizations of school meal facilities subject to reasonable rules and regulations of the board. Such use shall not interfere with the use of the facilities for public school purposes. The board may charge for such use an amount not to exceed the cost to the district.
[C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.8]
94 Acts, ch 1193, §29

  283A.9  Building for school meal facility.
  School districts may purchase, erect, or otherwise acquire a building for use as a school meal facility, and equip a building for that use, and pay for the acquisition or equipping from funds available in the physical plant and equipment levy fund, subject to the terms of section 298.2.
[C75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.9]
89 Acts, ch 135, §91
; 
94 Acts, ch 1029, §20
; 
94 Acts, ch 1193, §30

  283A.10  School breakfast or lunch in nonpublic schools.
  The authorities in charge of nonpublic schools may operate or provide for the operation of school breakfast or lunch programs in schools under their jurisdiction and may use funds appropriated to them by the general assembly, gifts, funds received from sale of school breakfasts or lunches under such programs, and any other funds available to the nonpublic school. However, school breakfast or lunch programs shall not be required in nonpublic schools. The department of education shall direct the disbursement of state funds to nonpublic schools for school breakfast or lunch programs in the same manner as state funds are disbursed to public schools. If a nonpublic school receives state funds for the operation of a school breakfast or lunch program, meals served under the program shall be nutritionally adequate meals, as defined in section 283A.1.
[C75, 77, 79, 81, §283A.10]
90 Acts, ch 1152, §5
; 
94 Acts, ch 1193, §31