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<p class="MsoNormal">Good afternoon,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Following up on last Thursday’s communications, I have a few updates I would like to share:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Late on Friday, April 11, a federal judge awarded the Maine Department of Education (DOE) a temporary restraining order (TRO) in response to the complaint that Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey filed last week pertaining to the freezing
of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds. As of Monday, April 14, the Maine DOE Child Nutrition team can confirm that it has access to both the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program accounts.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Additionally, the Child Nutrition team has already submitted paperwork manually to process payments for those CACFP sponsors that did not receive their administrative and/or cash in lieu payments.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The TRO remains effective for two weeks. In the meantime, the Office of the Maine Attorney General is pursuing the next steps necessary to secure these funds. The Maine DOE remains committed to sharing updates and guidance with you, as
frequently and regularly as this dynamic situation allows. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for your leadership.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">_________________________________<span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Jane McLucas (she/her/hers)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Director of Child Nutrition<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Maine Department of Education<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">136 State House Station
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Augusta, ME 04333-0136<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Email</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">:
<span style="color:#0070C0"><a href="http://jane.mclucas@maine.gov/"><span style="color:#0070C0">jane.mclucas@maine.gov</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Office</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">: 207-624-6880<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Cell</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">: 207-215-5761<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0"><a href="http://www.maine.gov/doe" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0070C0">Maine DOE</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
| <span style="color:#0070C0"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0070C0">Facebook</span></a></span> |<span style="color:#0070C0">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0070C0">Instagram</span></a></span> |
<span style="color:#0070C0"><a href="https://mainedoenews.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0070C0">Maine DOE Newsroom</span></a>
</span>| <a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition"><span style="color:#0563C1">Child Nutrition</span></a><br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><img border="0" width="192" height="70" style="width:2.0in;height:.725in" id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DBAD49.B00D6F90"></span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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