Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
General
General
- What is a reimbursable meal?
- What is the CEP program?
- How do you know who to charge for meals?
- Can I restrict my child's account so they can't get food at school or limit what they can get?
- We are transferring from a different district, how do we add our students to TTSD in LINQ?
- Is there a paperless option for the LINQ notifications?
What is a reimbursable meal?
A reimbursable breakfast consists of at least 3 items. A student must take at least 1 fruit with their meal.
A reimbursable lunch consists of at least 3 components from the 5 following food groups; Protein (Meat/Meat Alternate), Grain, Vegetable, Fruit and Fluid Milk. A student must take a minimum of 3 components from the 5 options, and one of the components must be at least 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetable.
What is the CEP program?
CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) means all TTSD students qualify for free meals. Please visit our CEP page to learn more about it: https://www.ttsdschools.org/departments/nutrition-services/community-eligibility-provison-cep
How do you know who to charge for meals?
Now that our district is participating in the CEP program (free meals for all students) there will only be charges to student accounts if a students take more than one meal during breakfast or lunch.
For middle and high school, students will continue to type in their 6 digit student ID into a pin pad to track meals, however accounts will not be charged unless a student gets extra meals.
Can I restrict my child's account so they can't get food at school or limit what they can get?
We are transferring from a different district, how do we add our students to TTSD in LINQ?
Is there a paperless option for the LINQ notifications?
Food and Menus
Food and Menus
- Does the menu change from what is posted online?
- What if my child only wants milk?
- My child has a food allergy/intolerance. Can they get special meals?
- How do I know if a menu item is gluten/dairy/nut/etc free?
- Can my student get more than one breakfast/lunch?
Does the menu change from what is posted online?
What if my child only wants milk?
If students would like milk they can take it as part of a complete meal, which would include 2 other meal components, one being at least 1/2 cup of fruits or vegetables. If they do not want anything but the milk, it will cost $1 and be charged to their meal account. If there is no money in the account at that time, a negative balance notification will be sent out weekly until the balance is paid.
My child has a food allergy/intolerance. Can they get special meals?
Our kitchens are not allergen free, which means all items on our regular menu are processed in the same facility that processes allergens.
There are two options for students with allergies obtaining meals in the cafeteria.
Option 1 - students manage allergens on their own. They would go through the line and take items that they know do not contain the allergen. The pros to this is there is more variety and choices and student's feel less ostracized because they are eating the same meals as their peers. The con is higher risk for cross-contamination.
Option 2 - we create a special menu. We create a specific Monday-Friday 1-2 week cycle rotation for the student and they would only eat that item. The pros are less risk, we sanitize/make the meals separately from the rest of the other student's meals, sometimes prepping ahead of time. The cons is that the variety is less and choices are less because it's a special menu created for them. Also could make students feel isolated because it's a "special meal". This option requires a medical statement to be completed and coordination with the school nurse.
How do I know if a menu item is gluten/dairy/nut/etc free?
Can my student get more than one breakfast/lunch?
Yes, students can have multiple meals but only the first one is free and each additional meal is charged as a full meal. If you think your student(s) will be regularly getting extra meals, you can manage funds in the account on linqconnect.com
Schools also have a sharing table which students are encouraged to utilize if they are still hungry but don’t need a full second meal. Students are also welcome to go back to get more from the salad bar anytime during the lunch period.
Payment
Payment
- How do I pay for school meals? Who do I make checks out to?
- Is there a fee for adding money to meal accounts online?
- If all students get free meals, why is there a charge/negative balance in my student's account?
- Why did I get a negative balance notification if my child did not eat at school?
- If my child’s account has a negative balance, can they still get food at school?
- Can I transfer funds from one student account to another?
- Can I get a refund for money that is in a meal account that is no longer needed?
How do I pay for school meals? Who do I make checks out to?
You have 2 options for paying for school meals. You can pay online at linqconnect.com. You will need to set up an account and make sure your students are added to your account. You can also set up autopay here. You can also send your child with money (cash or check) to be deposited into their account. They can give the money directly to the cafeteria staff or you can give it to the office making sure they know it is for your students meal account. Please put money into an envelope with your child’s name and student ID if possible. Make checks out to the name of your child's school.
Is there a fee for adding money to meal accounts online?
If all students get free meals, why is there a charge/negative balance in my student's account?
Why did I get a negative balance notification if my child did not eat at school?
We ask families to double check with their child to see if they ate at school. Sometimes students are sent to school with lunches from home, but still want to get whatever is being served in the cafeteria. Students will never be denied a meal, so if they ask for one they will get it. We also do see occasional mistake charges happen. If you believe this was the case, contact Nutrition Services to have the error corrected.
If my child’s account has a negative balance, can they still get food at school?
Can I transfer funds from one student account to another?
Yes, you can transfer funds between any students in your account. Follow this guide to transfer funds between students in your account.
Can I get a refund for money that is in a meal account that is no longer needed?
Yes, we can send you a refund check. Please fill out the refund request form.
And keep in mind that if your child ever gets more than one breakfast or lunch in the same day, it will be charged to their account as a regular priced meal, so some families choose to keep money in the accounts for that possibility.