School Menus | Meal & A la Carte Price Information | Free and Reduced Price Meals | Student Accounts, Payments & LINQ Connect | Dietary & Food Restrictions | Meal Charging Policy | Non-Discrimination Statement | Food Assistance Resources
Department Overview
Welcome to BCSD Food Services. Our mission is to provide students with delicious, healthy, affordable and safe options for meals and snacks at school. Elementary and Middle School students are offered breakfast, lunch and a la carte snacks daily. High School students are offered breakfast from the BC Blend Café, a wide variety of grab and go or traditional lunch options during scheduled lunch periods, and After School Café from 1:00-2:30 p.m. daily. We strive to create an environment that is friendly and promotes nutritious choices to support the learning environment at BCSD. In an effort to support the local community and procure the freshest ingredients, BCSD Food Services purchases food locally whenever possible. Please see your student’s school schedule for breakfast and lunch times. If you have questions or comments, please contact the BCSD Food Service Office.
Meal & A la Carte Price Information
School lunch costs $3.00 for elementary students and $3.25 for middle school students, and $3.50 for high school students. Milk costs $0.60. Breakfast costs $1.75 for elementary students, $2.00 for middle school students and $2.50 for high school students. Adult meals cost $3.00 for breakfast and $5.00 for lunch, including tax.
Lunch
K-5
- Full pay: $3.00
- Free/reduced eligible: No charge
6-8
- Full pay: $3.25
- Free/reduced eligible: No charge
9-12
- Full pay: $3.50
- Free/reduced eligible: No charge
Adult
- $5.00 (incl. tax)
Breakfast
K-5
- Full pay: $1.75
- Free/reduced eligible: No charge
6-8
- Full pay: $2.00
- Free/reduced eligible: No charge
9-12
- Full pay: $2.50
- Free/reduced eligible: No charge
Adult
- $3.00 (incl. tax)
Free and Reduced Price Meals
If you have trouble accessing the application or need assistance, please contact Susan Frank, Capital Region BOCES Shared Food Service Program Specialist, at (518) 464-5133 or susan.frank@neric.org.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and New York State understand the importance of healthy meals for growing children. We encourage all district families to apply and see if they qualify for free or reduced-priced meals at school. Please note that all information received on applications is strictly confidential and students’ who receive a benefit are never identified.
Student Accounts, Payments & LINQ Connect Online Payment System
Important update: MySchoolBucks will be replaced with LINQ Connect as of May 28, 2024. Learn more about LINQ Connect.
The Bethlehem School District’s Food Service Department serves breakfast and lunch daily in all school cafeterias. The district offers families several ways to pay for breakfast and lunch:
Check
Checks should be made out to “Bethlehem Central School District” and sent to your student’s school. It is recommended that you send the check in a sealed envelope marked “School Lunch” with your child’s name.
Cash
Cash is accepted in all cafeterias, however, cash payments are not encouraged as they are more difficult to track. If sending cash, please include in a sealed envelope marked “School Lunch” with your child’s name.
Pre-Payment with LINQ Connect
Secure online payments can be made using LINQ Connect There is a $2.60 convenience fee per transaction charged by LINQ Connect. All fees go directly to LINQ Connect to cover the vendor’s costs of operating the online payment system.
Why should I set up a LINQ Connect account?
LINQ Connect allows parents/guardians to:
- Make an online payment to their children’s cafeteria accounts.
- Remotely monitor their children’s accounts.
- Set purchase limits.
- Set up automatic recurring payments.
- Set up low-balance email message alerts.
- Make other school related purchases.
How to Setup a LINQ Connect Account
- Register: Create an account at https://linqconnect.com and select register.
- Verify Account: Click the email verification link sent to the provided email address to verify your account.
- Sign In: Sign in at https://linqconnect.com using your email and password. Please note: You will need to add your student(s) to your LINQ Connect account.
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- Click on +, then type, Bethlehem Central School District in the “District*” field and complete the information to link your student; name and student ID number (note: you can find your student’s ID number through the ASPEN parent portal). * You will need to complete this process for each student you wish to add.
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Download the LINQ Connect Mobile App:
For seamless access to your child’s account, LINQ Connect offers a free mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Install the app through these links:
- iPhone – Apple Store
- Android – Google Play Store
BC Meal Charging Policy
The purpose of this policy is to comply with federal and state requirements for the USDA Child Nutrition Program, and to provide oversight and accountability for the collection of outstanding student meal balances, while also ensuring that students and families are supported in getting the food and nutrition they need and deserve.
The Bethlehem Central School District places high importance on maintaining the dignity of all students and this includes ensuring they are both nurtured and well-nourished while at school. No student is ever denied a meal because of an inability to pay. The Food Service Department works closely with families so all students are prepared to learn and engage each and every day. Payment issues are handled discreetly between the school district and parents or guardians and all students are provided with sound nutritional meals. More details can be found by viewing the district’s meal charging policy.
Prohibition Against Meal Shaming
In the case of a student who cannot pay for a meal or who has accrued meal debt, the following actions are expressly prohibited:
- Announcing or publicizing the names of children with unpaid meal charges
- Sending clearly marked notices home with children who have an outstanding balance
- Using hand stamps, wristbands, stickers, or other physical markers to identify children with outstanding meal charges
- Requiring children with unpaid meal charges to do chores or other work
- Throwing a child’s meal in the trash
- Taking any action directed at the student to collect unpaid meal charges
- Discussing any outstanding meal debt in the presence of other students
- Serving alternate meals (i.e., cheese sandwich)
- Using a debt collector
Dietary & Food Restriction Information
The Bethlehem Central School District Food Service Department is committed to keeping students safe and helping families ensure their students make healthy, budget-friendly choices at school. For this reason, we provide tools to help you communicate any dietary and/or non-dietary restrictions your student(s) may need accommodations or alerts for.
When a student comes through the cafeteria line, the cashier will bring up their account to ring up their purchases. Before the cashier can add anything to the student’s account, an alert pops up to notify the cashier (this alert might be a food allergy, snack limit, or restriction on charging). The student’s photo is on the account screen to help ensure proper identification. Below is a picture to show you what the screen looks like when an account alert pops up.
Please call the Food Service office to set up account restrictions. Please note that account restrictions do not carry over from year to year. Parents/guardians must set up account restrictions on an annual basis. The Food Service office needs a note or phone call from a parent or guardian to remove account restrictions.
Dietary Restrictions
Restrictions for food allergies and other medically necessary dietary restrictions should be communicated to the nurse at your child’s school. A doctor’s note is required to set up an alert and/or special diet plan.
Please communicate any changes in allergy or diet prescription to the school nurse. If you would like to discuss non-medically necessary dietary restrictions or diet preferences your student has, please contact the Food Service Director.
Non-Discrimination 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-OASCRP-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf 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:
mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Food Assistance Resources
Food insecurity and hunger can affect anyone. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly benefits on an Electronic Benefit Card (EBT) to spend at local grocery stores and farmers’ markets.
Eligibility
Together with school meals, SNAP helps kids get the nutrition they need. To see if you may be eligible for SNAP, visit: SNAPHelpNY.org.
Apply
To apply for SNAP online, visit MyBenefits.ny.gov
Help with SNAP
The Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) offers one-on-one help applying for SNAP. NOEP is a free and confidential service. For more information on NOEP please contact Kristen Cordero, Albany County NOEP Coordinator at (518) 238-8677 or kcordero@unityhouseny.org.
Summer Meals
Kids ages 18 and under can get free, healthy meals throughout the summer at places nearby. No sign up needed, to locate the summer site closest to you visit: Summer Meals NY, text “food” to 304-304 or call 1-866-3-HUNGRY.