Food Services
Food Services
Shannon Carinci
Food Service Director
518-664-5727 ext. 2018
Email: scarinci@mechanicville.org
Menus
Menus are available by clicking the links below.
- September Menus – ES and MS/HS
- Menus can be viewed at: Linq Connect – Nutritional and Allergen Information
Free Meals for All Students
Mechanicville CSD – Letter to Parents for School Meal Programs
Dear Parent or Guardian:
We are pleased to inform you that the Mechanicville CSD will be offering meals at no cost to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for 2026-2027.
All students enrolled at Mechanicville CSD are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2026-2027 school year. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submitting an application. No further action is required of you.
However, families should complete the Household Income Eligibility Form (HHIE) by Oct. 1. The data gathered from this form allows the district to receive additional state and federal funding, and can qualify students for benefits such as reduced fees for SAT and ACT tests, reduced college application fees, discounts on Chromebook warranties and discounts on monthly internet services and computer purchases. The information from the HHIE form is confidential.
This online application is a simple three-step questionnaire!
If you have any questions, please reach out to Susan Frank at susan.frank@neric.org or by calling 518-464-5133.
Sincerely,
Shannon Carinci
School Lunch Director
The first full reimbursable meal is FREE for all students at Breakfast and Lunch. A minimum of three meal components must be chosen at each meal, and one of those three must be a fruit or vegetable.
2026-27 Meal Prices- Meal price for second full meal
All First Breakfast and Lunch meals, for all students, are FREE!
The cost for a second full meal- is as follows:
- ES Meal price Breakfast – $2.25
- ES Meal price Lunch – $3.50
- HS Meal price Breakfast- $2.75
- HS Meal price Lunch – $3.75
A la carte items, milk, snacks, ice cream, beverages- cannot be charged.
Funds can be added to your child’s account for second meals and A la carte items. All you have to do is sign-up for
There are four easy steps to creating your free account.
- Go to LINQ Connect from any computer, tablet or mobile device
- Register for a free account
- Search for the Mechanicville City School District
- Add funds securely to student accounts (or use the LINQ Connect app)
Why prepay?
- Easy online tracking of your child’s spending.
- Your child doesn’t have to carry money to school.
- The money stays in your child’s account.
- Helps to lunch lines move faster.
Send Check or Cash
You can always bring money personally or send it with your student. .
Meal Schedule
Elementary School
- Breakfast will be served from 8:30 – 9:05 a.m.
- Lunch will be served as follows:
- Pre-K/Self Contained- 11:00am-11:30am
- Kindergarten – 11:10am-11:40pm
- 3rd grade – 11:45pm-12:15pm
- 2nd Grade – 12:10pm-12:40pm
- 1st grade – 12:30pm-1:00pm
- 5th grade – 12:55pm-1:25pm
- 4th grade – 1:15pm-1:45pm
Jr./Sr. High School
- Breakfast will be served from 7:30am-8am
- Lunch will be served as follows:
- High School Students:
- Grades 9-12 – 10:52am-11:22am
- Junior High Students:
- Grades 6-8 – 11:35am-12:05pm
- High School Students:
Special Dietary Accomonodations
Your child’s health and safety are our top priorities. We are committed to partnering with families, empowering you with information and working together to keep students safe. Upon request, we will collaborate with you to create a personalized allergy management plan to minimize your child’s risk of allergen exposure at school.
While we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment (including nut or gluten-free), we are dedicated to student safety and transparency. Upon request, we can provide manufacturer documentation regarding allergens present within specific food products or at the specific school building. Full nutrition details and ingredient lists are available on LINQ Connect. Additionally, our staff undergoes annual allergy management training, each school utilizes specialized food prep kits to prevent cross-contamination, and student allergies trigger automatic “pop-up” alerts for kitchen staff to ensure unsafe items are not served.
USDA Regulation 7 CFR Part 15b requires schools to provide equal opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Requests must include a written statement signed by a state-licensed healthcare professional. It must detail the child’s disability, how it restricts their diet, the foods to omit, and recommended substitutions. Accommodating a disability must be provided at no additional charge to the student or family.
If your child requires a special diet consideration:
- Please complete the diet prescription form (can be obtained from your school nurse)
- Have form signed by your family’s doctor, a licensed physician, registered dietitian or another recognized medical authority
- Send the completed form to your student’s school nurse along with the meals and frequency you are looking to be available
- We will get back to you to discuss options and make a plain as soon as possible
Schools have the option (but are not federally required) to accommodate special diets for religious, moral, or personal preferences, provided the modified meals still meet USDA meal pattern requirements. We value your needs and will do our best to assess the needs of our students and make menus that are as inclusive as possible to allow as many families as possible to benefit from our services.
Meal Assistance
SNAP
Food insecurity and hunger can affect anyone. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 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 for SNAP, visit: SNAP Eligibility Tool. To apply for SNAP online, visit MyBenefit
Summer Meals
Summer Meals Site Finder
Kids ages 18 and under can get free, healthy meals throughout the summer at places nearby. No sign up needed, to locate the summer site closest to you visit: Summer Meals NY, text “food” to 304-304 or call 1-866-3-HUNGRY.
USDA Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the state or local agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027(link is external), found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
- Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
- Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
- Email: program.intake@usda.gov(link sends e-mail).
