Ohio child nutrition sponsors can now place October USDA Foods orders through the Commodity Allocation Tracking System, according to a bulletin from the state education department's Office of Nutrition. The ordering window is scheduled to close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.
The bulletin walks sponsors through the system. Users begin by opening orders, creating a new order if no data appears, and choosing one or more delivery locations from a drop-down menu. Sponsors with several delivery sites are advised to select every applicable location; each order form opens separately and must be saved.
Sponsors that submitted Survey 1054, the 2026-27 Demand Order for USDA Foods, will find requested items and items already in inventory listed with a district allocated amount covering the whole district. Case quantities are entered per delivery location and date. Sponsors that did not complete the survey may order only bonus or surplus items, which are available first-come, first-served and do not draw on Planned Assistance Level or entitlement funds.
Before finalizing, sponsors must order all allocated cases tied to the survey. The bulletin notes finalization is blocked until that is done, a step it links to USDA rules on excess inventory. After an order form is finalized, changes are not permitted.
Sponsors that cannot accept all allocated cases were instructed to contact USDA Foods staff before Sept. 18, 2026, and to provide documentation explaining why. Cancelled allocated cases are not credited to a sponsor's Planned Assistance Level.