Watervliet City School District > Departments > Food Service

Food Service

    Students need a nutritious breakfast and lunch every day to keep them healthy and to help them stay focused on learning. Children who develop healthy eating habits and are physically active have a greater chance of being healthy for life and are more likely to do better in school.

    The Watervliet Food Service Department offers healthy food choices in compliance with the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The legislation was developed to improve nutrition and focus on reducing childhood obesity, in part by asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to set national standards for school lunch meals, which include:

    • Increased servings of fruits and vegetables
    • Set maximum calorie targets
    • Use of whole grains in breads/grains served (pasta, tortillas, etc.)
    • Reduced sodium, saturated fat and trans fat 
    • Offer only 1 percent or fat-free milk and fat-free flavored milk

    Note: The Watervliet City School District offers breakfast and lunch to all students. If schools have a two-hour delay, no breakfast will be served.

    Meal Menus

    Elementary (Grades PK-5)

    Breakfast

    Every Day: Cereal, Muffin, Breakfast Bar, Bagel w/ Cream Cheese, 100% Fruit Juice or Fruit of the Day and Milk
    **Waffles on Thursdays

    Lunch

    View the Elementary Lunch Menu (via Google Drive)

    Jr-Sr High School (Grades 6-12)

    Breakfast

    Monday: French Toast Sticks
    Tuesday: Breakfast Sandwich
    Wednesday: Breakfast Pizza
    Thursday: Breakfast Sandwich
    Friday: Pancakes

    Every Day: Cereal, Muffin, Breakfast Bar, Bagel w/ Cream Cheese, 100% Fruit Juice or Fruit of the Day and Milk

    Lunch

    View the Jr-Sr High School Lunch Menu (via Google Drive)

    Access to Digital Menus through LINQ Connect

    Families now have the option to access the menu digitally through LINQ Connect where they can view main options, alternate options and all ingredients/allergen information. Learn more on the LINQ Connect website.

    Download the app up today!

    The “LINQ Connect” app is available in the Google Play Store now and the Apple App Store available soon to download. Just log in with your existing username and password. If you use a web browser, visit LINQConnect.com to log in.

    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.

    Meal Modification Statement/Notification

    Meal Service to Children with Disabilities: Federal regulations require schools and institutions to serve meals at no extra charge to children with a disability which may restrict their diet. A student with a disability is defined in 7CFR Part 15b.3 of Federal regulations, as one who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual, a record of such an impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment. All Food Service Areas will also be accessible to any/all individuals.

    The School Nutrition Program’s regulations require that meals offered in the schools meet the meal patterns identified in the program regulations. Food substitutions may be made for medical or special dietary needs on a case-by-case basis if supported by a statement signed by a recognized medical authority. A recognized medical authority may include physicians, physician assistants or nurse practitioners. A request for a Meal Modification can also come from one of these persons.

    The School District will review any requests for modification and accommodate wherever possible. If the exact request is not achievable, an alternate modification may be proposed. Families will have the opportunity to review the proposed alternate modification and file a grievance with the District’s 504 Coordinator. If necessary an impartial hearing can be requested in order to review standard and alternative procedures.

    Your child’s health is very important to us. Please have your medical authority complete and submit a notification to the school district’s School Lunch Director containing the required information needed to accommodate your child.

    • The School Nutrition Program utilizes the Offer vs. Serve meal service at our elementary, middle and high schools, but not any pre-k buildings. This means that your child may be able to make choices for their meal and choose something else to which they are not allergic to. School Nutrition personnel will make every attempt to accommodate your child’s dietary needs at no cost to the family.
    • Please know that the School Nutrition Program is able to handle vegetarian and/or religious (i.e. no pork) dietary requests. Requests must be made through Food Service. Any major allergen requests must be made with the Nurse on Site.
    • Parents and students are able to view school menus on the school website.
    • Your child’s signed Notification Form will stay on file until the school nutrition department receives written notification to remove it.

    All Watervliet students to have access to free school meals

    Complete a Household Income Eligibility Form online This form is also available at each school if you don’t have access to it online. Please return completed forms to school with your student to the attention: Darryl Whited, WCSD Cook Manager.

    The Watervliet City School District has implemented a meal certification option to our schools – Watervliet Elementary School and Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School – participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

    What does this mean for me and for my children who attend the school(s) identified above?

    All students enrolled at Watervliet City School District are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2023-24 school year. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application.

    Do I still need to complete a Household Income Eligibility Form?

    Yes, you still need to complete a form. Our school is eligible to receive additional state and federal funds based on the number and/or percentage of students enrolled who reside in households that meet established federal income guidelines. We use the Household Income Eligibility Form to collect household information. The form also helps our school district qualify for education funds and discounts. Complete a Household Income Eligibility Form online

    Please contact Darryl Whited, WCSD Cook Manager at 518-629-3261 or email dwhited@vlietschools.org if you have any questions.

    Sincerely,
    Watervliet City School District Food Service Team

    Watervliet schools eliminate peanut butter from menu

    As of September 2021, Watervliet City Schools no longer serves peanut butter as part of our school meals program.

    This move is in the interest of the health and safety of all students, as food allergies continue to be a growing concern in schools throughout the country. The Food Service program currently offers sun butter as an alternative. Sun butter is made from sunflower seeds and is free of major food allergens, including gluten.

    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that one in 13 children has a food allergy. The CDC reports that nearly 40% of these children have experienced a severe allergic reaction, with many of these incidents occurring at school.

    Food Services Provides Healthy Snack Options for In-School Celebrations

    During the school year, parents of elementary school students can order healthy snack options from the district’s food service department for their child’s classroom celebrations. Orders can be placed in the elementary school cafeteria, and should be made two weeks in advance. Payment is in cash or by check only; order form must accompany payment.

    Download the Celebration Order Form and return to Cook Manager Darryl Whited by emailing dwhited@vlietschools.org.

    Find Meals For Kids When School Is Closed

    https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids

    Hunger Free America operates the National Hunger Hotline on behalf of USDA. The hotline is a resource for individuals and families seeking information on how to obtain food. The National Hunger Hotline staff connects callers with emergency food providers in their community, government assistance programs, and various social services.

    Find free food near you by calling the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 866-3-HUNGRY (866-348-6479) or 877-8-HAMBRE from Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, or by visiting our online database of food pantries and soup kitchens.

    You may also text “97779” to the automated service with a question that may contain a keyword such as “food”, “summer”, “meals”, etc. to receive an automated response to resources located near an address and/or zip code.

    To receive updates about the status of Pandemic-EBT benefits in your state, text “PEBT” to 97779.

    Follow Hunger Hotline on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more resources.