Food Service

Food Service Director, Jeff Bartone
(518) 359 – 2981 extension 1019
[ Email Mr. Bartone ]

Children need healthy meals to learn.
Tupper Lake CSD offers healthy meals every school day.

We are pleased to inform you that Tupper Lake CSD will be implementing a meal certification option available to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for 2024-2025 school year.

What does this mean for your child(ren) attending the school(s) identified above?

All students enrolled at all Tupper Lake CSD schools are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2024 2025 school year. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit an application.

We do ask that you would please complete the online Household Income Form, which can be found at this link: https://linqconnect.com/public/income-form/new?identifier=WBY84N

What is the Household Income Form?
The form collects basic information about your learner so our school can determine if they would otherwise be eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast/lunch. It is important for EVERY family to fill out this form because doing so helps bring much-needed additional money and services directly to our school! This form should be submitted each year by October 1, but will also be accepted after that date. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Frank at (518) 464-5133 or [email protected].

If all meals are free, why do we have to complete this form?
School districts receive funding from the state and federal governments. For each learner who would qualify for free or reduced-price breakfast/lunch, schools receive additional dollars in funding. Even a small increase in completed Household Income Eligibility forms collected results in significantly more money to support our learners.

Is the Information I submit confidential?
Yes, the information you submit on the Household Income Eligibility Form is not shared by our school. Personal information submitted on the form is not shared with the state or federal government; only the number of learners who would otherwise qualify for free or reduced breakfast/lunch is shared.

District personnel are not told which learners would otherwise qualify for free or reduced breakfast/lunch benefits. Our school does not share information with other organizations that provide benefits. If you complete the secure online form, you won’t enter the exact household income, only an income range.

Our Household doesn’t qualify for free or reduced price meals, do I still need to complete the form?
Yes. If you do not wish to be considered for eligibility, please complete the online form indicating income range.

If you have any further questions, please call Susan Frank at (518) 464-5133.

Breakfast is available to all students.

In order to meet USDA requirements, school breakfasts must contain no more than 30% of calories from fat, and less then 10% from saturated fat.

In addition, breakfast must provide one fourth of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calories.

Research shows that children who eat breakfast:

show improvement on math, reading and standardized test scores
establish healthier habits for later in life
have fewer absences and incidences of tardiness
are more likely to behave better in school
consume more calcium, fiber, foliate and protein

Breakfast is served:

LP Quinn Elementary School: 7:50 am - 8:35 am, with breakfast available as-needed for students arriving late.

Tupper Lake Middle-High School: 7:00 am - 8:00 am, with breakfast available as-needed for students arriving late.

We now have LINQ Connect as one way you can add funds to your student's accounts for their a la carte items and "seconds".

LINQ Connect is not the only wat to get money onto your student's account; Cash and checks are still accepted.

To get started, go to: https://linqconnect.com/CG5JXH

Then, click REGISTER to create your account.

LINQ also has a mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

All the details, steps, and answers to frequently asked questions are in the FAQs document below.

Need help with LINQ Connect? Visit the LINQ help page

Programs

Emergency SNAP Benefits

For information about the end of Emergency SNAP benefits and other resources, please contact the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance here.

Meal Services to Children with Disabilities

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) aim to provide all participating children, regardless of background, with the nutritious meals they need to be healthy. This includes ensuring children with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the NSLP and SBP.

Federal regulations require schools and institutions to serve meals at no extra charge to those children whose disability restricts their diet in such a way that they cannot fully participate in the food service program without some modification to the foods offered or the scheduled menu. If you believe your child needs substitutions because of a disability, please get in touch with us for further information. You must request meal modifications from the school and provide the school with a medical statement from a State licensed healthcare professional.

This medical statement must contain but is not limited to the following:

• Information about the child's physical or mental impairment that is sufficient to allow the school to understand how it restricts the child’s diet,

• An explanation of what must be done to accommodate the child’s special dietary need,

• The food or foods to be omitted and recommended alternatives, in the case of a modified meal

If you have questions regarding the need for meal modifications, contact Jeff Bartone at [email protected] or 518-912-5092 for further information.

Policies

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf(link is external), from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. MAIL

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

2. FAX

(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442

3. EMAIL

[email protected]

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.