Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District > BKW Food and Nutrition

BKW Food and Nutrition

 Free School Meals

Parent Letter 2024-25

All Berne Knox Westerlo Central School District students are eligible to receive FREE school meals (1 breakfast and 1 lunch per day), regardless of family income, through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Additional meals, snacks and a la carte items will still need to be paid for. Students will be able to purchase those items with cash or funds available on their LINQ Connect accounts.

No application is required; however families should complete this Household Income Eligibility Form(HHIE). The data gathered from this form can qualify students for additional benefits and allows the district to receive additional state and federal funding. The online form only requires an income range and is confidential.

For questions about CEP or the HHIE form, please contact: Erin Wright, Shared Food Service Specialist, (518) 464-3945, erin.wright@neric.org

Please note, additional meals and snacks cannot be charged to student accounts without adequate funds.

Elementary School Menu | Secondary School Menu

Elementary School Menus

      Secondary School Menus

      Menus, allergens, and nutritional values can also be viewed here on LINQ Connect.

      Breakfast

      All students are able to get free breakfast each school day.

      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

      LINQ Connect Information

      Students will continue to have individual school meal accounts on LINQ Connect.  Parents/Guardians can manage their LINQ accounts here and add funds for additional meals and snacks not included in the free breakfasts and lunches. Online deposits can be added to LINQ Connect accounts or checks can be made payable to Berne Knox Westerlo CSD Food Services.  

      Policies

      Meal Modification Statement for Students with Special Dietary Needs

      District Wellness Policy 

      Birthday Baskets ( Pre-K through Grade 6)

      The BKW elementary cafeteria offers Birthday Baskets that can be delivered to your student’s classroom. It’s affordable and convenient for you and fun and healthy choices for the student’s special day. Birthday Basket Order Forms will be sent home the month of your student’s birthday. For additional questions, please contact James Boule, Food Service Director, (518) 807-1850.

      Food Assistance Resources

      Local Food Pantries

      A database of local food pantries and meal assistance programs can be found here.

      SNAP

      SNAP provides monthly benefits to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other locations. SNAP helps families stretch their food budget so kids can get the nutrition they need to learn and grow. See if you are eligible here and apply for SNAP online at MyBenefits.ny.gov

      The Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) offers one-on-one help applying for SNAP. NOEP can tell you if you may be eligible for SNAP, answer questions, and help with your application. It’s free and confidential. Find a NOEP Coordinator near you at FoodHelpNY.org.

      Summer Food

      Nutritious free meals are available for children and teens 18 and younger at many locations throughout the nation throughout the summer while school is out of session. Please visit the USDA website to find a location near you, or text “Summer Meals” to 97779 or call 1-866-348-6479 to find a site nearby.

      2024 Summer EBT Information from OTDA

      Receiving Summer EBT

      Updated on Monday, August 12, 2024 

      Summer EBT food benefits are now being issued to eligible children and will continue through October 2024.* This webpage will be updated as new information is available.

      • Benefits are currently being issued to eligible children in kindergarten through grade 12 who attend public schooland received a letter in the mail that benefits will be issued to an existing Pandemic-EBT card that was used to access their P-EBT benefits. If you no longer have this P-EBT card, follow these instructions to request a replacement card.
      • During the first two weeks of August, benefits will be issued to eligible children in kindergarten through grade 12 who attend public schooland received a letter in the mail saying that a new Summer EBT card will be mailed to them. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for Summer EBT benefit cards to arrive in the mail. Information about how to activate/PIN a Summer EBT card is available here.
      • Eligible students who attend non-publicschool (private, religious, or independent schools) are expected to begin receiving benefits in late August into September.
      • Children determined eligible through an applicationwill receive benefits beginning in late August through October 2024, depending on when the application was submitted. All children determined eligible through an application will be mailed a new Summer EBT food benefit card.
      • Children who became newly eligiblefor summer EBT because they were enrolled in Medicaid or SNAP, or certified for free meals by their school at the end of the school year, are expected to receive benefits in October 2024.

      This program is not administered through the school district. Please reach out to https://otda.ny.gov/programs/summer-ebt/ for more information. 

      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%20PComplaint-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:

      1. mail:

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

      1. fax:

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

      1. email:

        program.intake@usda.gov