ARTICLE 3. Cafeterias, Allocation of Charges [38100. - 38103.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 3.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 38100. Section 38100.

(a) The cost of providing adequate housing for cafeterias, including, but not limited to, permanent kitchen facilities, is a charge against the funds of the school district. The cost of the lease or purchase of cafeteria equipment and of vending machines and their installation and housing shall be a charge against cafeteria funds, in accordance with Section 38091. However, when the governing board of a school district deems it necessary, the governing board of a school district may make the cost of the lease or purchase of cafeteria equipment for a kitchen or central food processing plant, and vending machines and their installation and housing, a charge against the funds of the school district. If school district funds are expended for the lease or purchase of kitchen equipment or for the lease, purchase, installation, or housing of vending machines, the governing board of the school district may at any time during the same fiscal year after the expenditure reimburse school district funds from cafeteria funds. The governing board of a school district shall only approve reimbursement for vending machines if one, or both, of the following apply: (1) The vending machines are owned and operated by the school food services department, sell meals that qualify for federal meal program reimbursement, and are equipped with appropriate point of service meal counting software. (2) The vending machines sell only food, or only beverages, or both that comply with state and federal competitive food laws and regulations. (b) The governing board of a school district may by resolution make the cost of maintenance of the kitchen facilities, the cost of replacement or maintenance of kitchen equipment, and costs of telephone charges, water, drinking water in the cafeteria, electricity, gas, coal, wood, fuel, oil, and garbage disposal related to food service and delivery a charge against cafeteria funds, provided that the school district complies with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. (c) For purposes of this section, “cafeteria fund” means the nonprofit school food service account, as defined in Section 210.2 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 38101. Section 38101.

(a) (1) The governing board of a school district may authorize expenditures from the cafeteria fund or cafeteria account for those charges from that fund or account that are defined in the California School Accounting Manual, and as specified in paragraphs (2) and (3). (2) The governing board of a school district may authorize expenditures from the cafeteria fund or cafeteria account to provide meals pursuant to Section 49550.5. (3) (A) Upon prior approval by the department, the cost of purchasing a mobile food facility, as defined in Section 113831 of the Health and Safety Code, may be a charge against the cafeteria fund. (B) A local educational agency that uses federal reimbursements from any of the federal child nutrition programs to purchase a mobile food facility shall use the mobile food facility only to support the administration of those federal child nutrition programs. A mobile food facility used for any purposes other than to support the administration of federal child nutrition programs shall be purchased entirely from funding sources other than the cafeteria fund. (b) A food service program shall not be charged more than once for expenditures for the same service. If a food service program is being charged for a service as a direct cost, the school district shall not also allocate that cost as a direct support cost or indirect cost. (c) For purposes of this section, an “indirect cost” shall be limited to the lesser of the school district’s prior year indirect cost rate as approved by the department or the statewide average approved indirect cost for the second prior fiscal year. (d) Charges to, or transfers from, a food service program shall indicate when the charge or transfer was made and shall be accompanied by a written explanation of the purpose of, and basis for, the expenditure. (e) This section does not authorize a school district to charge a food service program any charges prohibited by state or federal law or regulation. (f) If the department and the Department of Finance concur that a school district has violated this section, the Superintendent shall direct that school district to transfer double the amount improperly transferred to the general fund of the school district from that fund to the cafeteria fund of the school district or cafeteria account for the subsequent fiscal year which is then to be used for the improvement of the food service program of the school district. If the school district fails to make that transfer as directed, the Superintendent shall reduce the regular apportionment of the school district determined pursuant to Section 42238 and increase the child nutrition allowance of the school district determined pursuant to Section 41350 by double the amount improperly transferred to the general fund of the school district and that amount is then to be used for improvement of the food service program. (g) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section that responsible school district officials be held fully accountable for the accounting and reporting of food service programs and that minor and inadvertent instances of noncompliance be resolved in a fair and equitable manner to the satisfaction of the Superintendent and the Department of Finance. (h) The Superintendent, with the approval of the Department of Finance, may waive up to the full transfer amount in subdivision (f) if he or she determines that the noncompliance involved is minor or inadvertent, or both. (i) For purposes of this section, “cafeteria fund” means the nonprofit school food service account, as defined in Section 210.2 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 38103. Section 38103.

The governing board of a school district shall employ persons for food service positions as part of the classified service, except that school districts may utilize the services of volunteers for programs that provide meals for senior citizens as authorized pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 9500) of Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Wages, salaries, and benefits, including employer retirement contributions for food service personnel, shall be paid from the general fund of the school district or from the cafeteria fund, at the discretion of the governing board and upon approval of the county superintendent of schools who has responsibility for a countywide payroll/retirement system under Sections 42646 and 85260. Expenses of the general fund under this section for the costs of wages, salaries, and benefits, including employer retirement contributions and other purposes classed as food service, shall be excluded from the definition of “current expense of education” as defined in Section 41372. The governing board may, at any time, order reimbursement from the cafeteria fund or account to the general fund of the district for payments under this section in such amounts as it prescribes but not to exceed food service employee salary, wage and benefit costs actually incurred. Any reimbursements in excess of the amount actually required shall be refunded to the cafeteria fund or account not later than the close of the current fiscal year. The reimbursements from the cafeteria fund or account shall be considered expenses of the cafeteria fund or account, as the case may be, and only those payments made from the general fund that are not reimbursed from the cafeteria fund or account shall be considered expenses of the general fund. Accounting for those transactions shall be as prescribed in Section 41010.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026