The data are from a descriptive study of the USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). The data were collected between April and August 2018 using web-based surveys given to a nationally representative sample of School Food Authorities (SFAs) and 53 of 55 State agencies that administer the NSLP and SBP (Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were not asked to participate due to hurricanes in the region at the time of data collection). The survey questions collected data about NSLP and SBP operations during school year (SY) 2017–18 and financial data from SY 2016–17.

Study date(s) and duration
Data collection occurred from April to August 2018. The survey questions collected data about NSLP and SBP operations during SY 2017–18 and financial data from SY 2016–17.

Study spatial scale (size of replicates and spatial scale of study area)
The study area is the United States and outlying Territories that operate the NSLP and SBP.

Sampling precision (within-replicate sampling or pseudoreplication)
There was no sampling for the State agency survey. There was sampling for the SFA survey. The target universe was all 14,854 SFAs operating in public school districts in the United States and outlying Territories that were required to submit FNS-742 to FNS in SY 2014–15. The sampling frame of 14,854 SFAs was stratified into 10 strata based on number of students in the SFA and percentage of students certified for free or reduced-price meals. The research team implicitly stratified the 10 strata by sorting SFAs within each stratum by FNS Region and by urbanicity status to ensure the sample selected was balanced on these additional factors. Precision calculations confirmed that a responding sample of 1,750 SFAs allocated among the strata would meet the statistical requirements of the study. Therefore, assuming an 80 percent response rate, a sample of 2,187 SFAs was needed each study year.

Additional information about the sampling procedures is presented in the study report: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/program-operations-study-school-year-2017-18

Level of subsampling (number and repeat or within-replicate sampling)

Study design (before–after, control–impacts, time series, before–after-control–impacts)
Descriptive study

Description of any data manipulation, modeling, or statistical analysis undertaken
Calculating SY 2017-18 nationally representative estimates for the SFA survey required sample weights that account for the sample design, nonresponse, and school year. The weighting procedures are described in detail in the study report: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/program-operations-study-school-year-2017-18

The State agency and SFA survey data include variables collected from the survey as well as variables constructed for use in analyses. To preserve the confidentiality of the SFAs all variables that could be used to determine the precise size in terms of number of students, number of schools, and/or number of meals served were “masked” by setting the variable to its size. To avoid the exposure of personal identifiable information, some of the variables in the State agency data file were classified into categories. Open ended text responses and derived variables were dropped from the SA and SFA data files.

Description of any gaps in the data or other limiting factors
Two of the 55 State agencies that administer the NSLP and SBP were not asked to complete the State agency survey (Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were experiencing hurricanes at the time of data collection). The remaining 53 State agencies completed the survey.

Of the 2,187 sampled SFAs, seven were given an initial exemption due to hurricane damage, requests for exemptions, and due to lack of contact information. Additionally, four SFAs were found to be either closed or no longer participating in USDA school meals programs. Of the remaining 2,176 SFAs, 1,653 provided valid responses, yielding a response rate of 76.1 percent.

Outcome measurement methods and equipment used
The surveys asked State agencies and SFAs about the following topics related to operating the NSLP and SBP: eligibility determination and verification, financial management, food and beverage marketing, meal counting, meal pattern requirements, meal prices, revenues and expenditures, school participation, student participation, and Buy American/local food purchasing.

Resources in this dataset:

• Resource Title: Child Nutrition Program Operations Study, School Year 2017-2018 - Datasets for SA and SFA Surveys
  File Name: CNOPS 2017-18_PUF_AG_DATA_COMMONS.zip
  Resource Description: Child Nutrition Program Operations Study, School Year 2017-2018 - Datasets for SA and SFA Surveys in SAS format. Includes Codebooks, Survey Instruments, SAS Datasets, SAS Formats and Data User Guide.