Food Services

For any questions or concerns please contact:
Megan Bates, Interim School Food Director
Phone – (518) 918-8135
Email – megan.bates@neric.org

All Fort Edward Union Free 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 the HHIE form, please contact: Erin Wright, Shared Food Service Specialist, (518) 464-3945, erin.wright@neric.org

All students are able to get free breakfast every 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

Students will continue to have individual school meal accounts on LINQ Connect. Parents/Guardians can manage those 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 or checks can be made payable to Fort Edward Union Free School District, Food Service Program.

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.

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.

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

2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3. email:
    program.intake@usda.gov