School Meal Prices & Menus
*Please note: All menus are subject to change based on supply and demand trends.
[Click here to view SCHOOL MENUS on the LINQ Connect site*]
- Elementary Schools Pricing: Breakfast: FREE (Add’tl meal $2.25) | Lunch (with milk): FREE (Add’tl meal $3.25) | Milk: FREE with meal or $0.75 | Staff Lunch: $5+ tax
- O’Rourke Middle School Pricing: Breakfast: FREE (Add’tl meal $2.25) | Lunch (with milk): FREE (Add’tl meal $3.50) | Milk: FREE with meal or $0.75 | Staff Lunch: $5+ tax
- BH-BL High School Pricing: Breakfast**: FREE (Add’tl meal $2.75) | Lunch (with milk): FREE (Add’tl meal $4) | Milk: FREE with meal or $0.75 | Staff Lunch: $5+ tax
*Please use the drop down menu on the LINQ Connect site to select your child’s school. (The first menu that appears is the breakfast menu for the HS but the drop down lets you choose the school.)
**There is also a coffee shop at the high school where a variety of a la carte items are also for sale beginning at 7 a.m.
What’s included in a school lunch? A serving of a fruit, vegetable, grains (pasta, rice, bread, etc.), meat/meat alternative, and milk.
What’s included in a school breakfast? A serving of fruit, grains (cereal, muffin, bread product, etc.), and milk.
What are the breakfast hours at my child’s school?
- BH-BL High School: 7 to 9:30 am
- O’Rourke Middle School: 7:15 to 9 am
- All Elementary Schools: 8:20 to 9 am
Free Meals Information
Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, BH-BL offers reimbursable meals to all students at no cost to students or their family. This initiative is authorized by New York State. And, because of the district’s enrollment in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), BH-BL is eligible to offer this complimentary meal program.
In compliance with NYS requirements, Free and Reduced Price meal applications must continue to be submitted during the first year of this new initiative. If your child was eligible for free or reduced prices meal in the past, you are still encouraged to complete the application. [Click here to view the Letter & other information.] [Click here to complete the online application.] Questions about this and other food service areas can be addressed to Food Service Department at 518-399-9141, Ext. 85003.
About Our Food Program
Providing children with the nutrition necessary for the healthy growth of their minds and bodies is one of the best ways to help them perform well in the classroom. Students may purchase: a complete lunch including milk, or just milk. Please note that due to federal and state regulations, while students may receive a full meal at no cost to them or their families, the district is required to charge students that choose to only purchase milk. The secondary schools offer a wide variety of a la carte and snack items, and the high school also offers a la carte breakfast items.
The goal of the Food Service Department is to work in partnership with parents and school staff to provide nutritious food and snacks that will support learning and good health. In keeping with this goal, we strongly recommend that children NOT bring soda or carbonated beverages to school for snacks or lunch.
SNAP
Food insecurity and hunger can affect anyone. While not affiliated with the school district, some families may qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which provides monthly benefits on an Electronic Benefit Card (EBT) to spend at local grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Together with school meals, SNAP helps kids get the nutrition they need. To see if you may be eligible, follow this link. To apply for SNAP online, click here.
Access your child’s meal payment plan
School lunch and breakfast is provided at no charge to the student, however, second meals, individual milk purchases, and a la carte items are available for purchase. LINQ Connect allows parents to add money to their child’s account, set spending limits, receive low balance notifications, view school menus, and more.
Adding money to an account online is quick and easy. Sign up/log in by going the LINQ Connect site. Your child (and staff) will use the same ID number that was previously assigned to them.
The LINQ Connect program is a rebranding of the Titan Portal. Student and staff balances from Titan have automatically been transferred to LINQ Connect.
If paying by check, please make check payable to “BH-BL School Lunch Program.” Students at the elementary level should give the check to their teacher who will deliver it to the Food Service Department to deposit. Middle and high school students can give a check to a Food Service employee. Students can always use cash to pay for additional food items, which are not part of the state’s Universal Free Meals program.
Food Allergies and Nutritional Label Information
The food service department addresses the needs of our students with food allergies by offering specific meals on select days that are designated on the school lunch menu as dairy-free or gluten-free meals (GF). Unless the item on the menu is specifically listed as an allergy-free meal, parents should assume that the meal contains one or more allergens and as such, students with food allergies should NOT purchase school lunch on that day. We will continue to work on expanding our school lunch options to offer a greater selection of allergy-free choices in the future.
Peanut, tree nut, and gluten-free school meals & kitchen
The needs and safety of the children who attend our schools is our top priority. The BH-BL Food Service Department maintains a completely nut-free kitchen. While there may be prepackaged items with clear identification that they contain peanuts or were processed in a facility that also processes peanut products, the Food Services Department does not prepare any food or use any products containing peanuts or tree nuts, including peanut butter. They use soynut butter in place of peanut butter. Peanuts and tree nuts also are not included in any recipes and they do not use peanut or sesame oil for cooking or baking.
The food service staff also have a dedicated set of cutting boards, utensils, and knives that are used for gluten-free cooking to ensure that there is no cross contamination.
The food service staff are in contact with the school nurses to keep student records updated. Specific food allergies for each child are entered into the system, so as the student goes through the lunch line, a pop-up box appears on the register letting the cashier know so they can verify that the student is not allergic to any of the food items on his or her tray. This system of checks and balances enables food service employees to become familiar with the needs of the students.
The BH-BL Food Service Department offers gluten-free options. Students who follow a gluten-free diet and who buy lunch daily must let the school nurse know so the food service staff can prepare a gluten-free meal. Additionally, students who follow a gluten-free diet but generally do not purchase school meals daily, must let the school know by 9 a.m. if their child will be purchasing a gluten-free meal for that day. The food service staff is not able to make GF meals unless requested. Typically, the main entree can be made gluten-free if requested.
Although the schools’ kitchens are peanut- and tree nut-free, children may still bring peanut products in their school lunch to eat in the school cafeteria. There are designated tables in the cafeteria where children who maintain a peanut and tree nut-free diet may sit. Also, all of our elementary schools’ classrooms are nut-controlled zones. Parents are kindly asked to refrain from sending their children to school with snacks that contain nuts. All obvious nuts and nut products may be consumed in the cafeteria during lunch. If you have any questions about the classrooms or cafeteria procedures, please contact the school office directly.
All parents/guardians are welcome to visit the district’s kitchens and receive a tour.
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 by following this link, 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.