Breakfast is free for all DCPS students. Breakfast meals are available to students arriving at Oyster-Adams between 8:10 and 8:30am (also for those enrolled in Before Care).
Lunch is $3.00 for all grades. Families will need to load money into their child's LINQCONNECT account to pay for lunch. Families may qualify for free or reduced-price meals, based on household income and family size. Complete the online SY2024-2025 Free and Reduced-Price Meal (FARM) application to see if your family qualifies.
If you prefer, you can send your student to school with a packed lunch.
How to Pay for School Lunch?
Student Meal Payment
Students' meal accounts function as a debit account. When a student goes through the lunch line to receive a meal at non-CEP schools, they give the cafeteria manager their name or student ID number. The cost of the meal is the deducted from their student meal account (no charge at CEP schools).
If there are insufficient funds in the student's meal account, the student still receives a meal, and the student meal account will show a negative balance with the associated cost.
You can add funds to your students' meal account in two ways:
Pay with a credit or debit card by creating an account at LINQCONNECT an online prepayment service used by DCPS FNS
By sending a check or money order made payable to the DC Treasurer to the following address*:
DCPS Food and Nutrition Services
ATTN: Nadine James, Meal Accounts
1200 First Street, NE, 9th Floor.
Washington, DC 20002*The student ID# MUST be included on the check
Important Update to DCPS Meal Payment Portal on October 10, 2023
Overview
All student and adult staff meal account balances will automatically roll over to LINQConnect. However, to add funds or check balances after October 10, you must have a LINQConnect account. Read below to find out how.
Students will never be refused a meal or served an alternate meal selection if there are no funds in the student account.
Details
At DC Public Schools (DCPS), we are committed to providing healthy and nutritious meal options for our school communities. Communicating changes to meal plans in a timely manner is essential to ensure there are no interruptions to meal services for students.
On October 10, 2023, the current meal payments portal, MySchoolBucks, will be replaced by a new meal payment solution, LINQ Connect.
DCPS Food and Nutrition Services awarded a contract to a new operational platform, which will change the payment system for families. This change will enhance our current process by streamlining and making it more efficient for everyone in our school communities.
Existing MySchoolBucks account holders must register for a LINQ Connect account. To get the new account set up, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:
Register: Create an account at https://linqconnect.com and select register. Have your student’s ID number available.
Verify Account: Click the email verification link sent to the provided email address to verify your account.
Sign In: Now, you can sign in at https://linqconnect.com using your email and password. Please note: You will need to add your student to your LINQ Connect account. Click on +, then type and complete the information to link your student. You will need to complete this process for each student you wish to add.
All student and adult staff meal account balances will automatically roll over to LINQConnect. However, to add funds or check balances after October 10, you must have a LINQConnect account. MySchoolBucks accounts will no longer be in use or available for those functions.
You can learn more about this change and how it impacts your school community in the FAQ below.
Thank you for partnering with us to make this switch seamless. Please note that students will never be refused a meal or served an alternate meal selection if there are no funds in the student account. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at [email protected] or (202) 299-2159.
Sincerely,
Food and Nutrition Services
DC Public Schools
Q&A
Why is this shift happening?
DCPS Food and Nutrition Services awarded a contract to a new operational platform, which will affect the payment system for families. This will enhance our current process by streamlining and making it more efficient for school communities.
How does this impact me?
If you have a school meal account under MySchoolBucks, you will need to create a new account on LINQ Connect. Any existing funds will be transferred to the new platform on 10/6/23 after 3:00 p.m. EDT.
Will my balance from MySchoolBucks crossover to the new LINQ Connect?
Balances will be transferred to LINQ Connect. However, to add funds and check balances, families must make a new account using LINQ Connect.
How do I get started?
- Register: Create an account at https://linqconnect.com and select Register. Have your student’s ID number available.
- Verify your Account: Verify your account by clicking on the email verification link sent to your email address.
- Sign In: Now you can sign in at https://linqconnect.com using your email and password.
When I log in, why do not see my student’s account?
You will need to add your student to your LINQ Connect account. Click on +, then type and complete the information to link your student. You will need to complete this process for each student you wish to add.
I am a DCPS staff member, what do I need to make an adult meal account?
Following the steps above, use your DCPS Staff (PeopleSoft) ID # to identify your unique account.
Can I access my account through any browser?
You can access your account through any browser except Internet Explorer, which is no longer supported.
Can I access my account through a mobile app?
Yes, you will need to download the new LINQ Connect app in the Apple Store or Google Play Store available now.
How do I add money/make a payment to my student’s account?
Once you have added your child to your LINQ Connect account, you can add money by clicking the Add Money to Account button on the dashboard or by clicking the Meal Accounts button on the student card. You can choose to either Add to Balance or set up a New Recurring Payment with Auto Pay. If youselect Add to Balance, the funds will be immediately available on your student’s account upon completion of the transaction. If you select New Recurring Payment with Auto Pay, you will be setting up a future automatic payment for the specified amount, frequency, day, and starting date that you choose.
Can I receive a notification when my student’s account balance is low?
Yes. The system is defaulted to send an email reminder when the balance falls below $5.00. You can change the Payment Reminder by editing the dollar amount on the Payment Reminder card on the Meal Accounts page.
What happens to the money in my student’s account at the end of the school year?
Your account balance moves with your student from grade to grade and school to school (within the district).
Who should I contact with questions?
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or give us a call at (202) 299-2159.
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