Food Services Director
Daniel Sala
dsala@duanesburg.org
(518) 895-3000 ext. 228
Mr. Daniel Sala is with Capital Region BOCES Shared Food Services and joined DCS as the district’s new Food Services Director in June, 2024.
Ms. Erin Wright is the BOCES Shared Food Service Specialist assigned to Duanesburg. She can be reached (518) 464-3945 or by email at erin.wright@neric.org.
Menus on Linq Connect
Free school meals for all Duanesburg students for 2024-2025 school year
Parent/Guardian Letter 2024-25
All Duanesburg Central School District students in grades PK-12 are eligible to receive FREE school meals (1 breakfast and 1 lunch per day) for the 2024-2025 school year, 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
BOCES Shared Food Service Specialist
(518) 464-3945
erin.wright@neric.org
Meal Prices 2024-25 School Year
Please note, additional meals and snacks cannot be charged to student accounts without adequate funds.
LINQ Connect
The Duanesburg Central School District uses LINQ Connect.
LINQ Connect allows you to set up one-time or recurring payments for your student’s meal. You can also view previous transactions, set spending limits, transfer funds between students, set low-balance notifications, and more. It’s an easy way to manage meal payments without the hassle of sending cash.
If you have any difficulties accessing your LINQ account, please contact LINQ support at support@linqconnect.com.
Download and log in to the “LINQ Connect” app – available on Google Play or in the Apple Store – or visit their website to get your account started.
Breakfast
For the 2024-25 school year, all Duanesburg Central School District students are able to get free breakfast every school day.
Serving times for each building:
Elementary School: 7:35-8:25 a.m.
Jr/Sr High School: 7:30-8:30 a.m.
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
District’s Food Services Policies
All Board of Education policies can be found on Board Docs.
Meal Modification Statement for Students with Special Dietary Needs
Meal Charge and Prohibition Against Meal Shaming Policy
Allergies
Students who bring a lunch from home are asked to keep peanut and tree nut products to a minimum out of consideration from students who may have allergies to these products. Students who bring peanut or tree nut products are asked to:
- refrain from sharing food with other students
- refrain from eating on the bus or outside of the cafeteria
- keep hands to himself or herself while eating
- wash up after eating
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
Eligibility: To be automatically eligible for Summer EBT food benefits:
- A child must receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Temporary Assistance (cash) benefits, or be directly certified for free meals through Medicaid, OR
- A child must be determined eligible for free/reduced price school meals by their school.
These children will receive benefits automatically and DO NOT need to apply. Most eligible children will receive their benefits this way. These families will receive a letter this summer letting them know that their child is eligible.
For those households that do need to apply, children may be eligible if they meet two criteria.
- The child must attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which our district does, AND
- The household’s income must be at or below the income limits for eligibility for free/reduced price school meals (2024-2025 School Year Income Eligibility Guidelines)
If your household must apply to be considered for benefits, an online application (English and Spanish) will be available by July 1, 2024, here.
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:
- 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: