HCPSS proudly serves more than 5.5 million high-quality meals each year
New For 2023-2024!
HCPSS no longer will use Nutrislice for school menus or MySchoolBucks* for meal payments and instead is offering a new parent site for all things food and nutrition. LINQ Connect is a secure, online portal that allows families to:
- View breakfast and lunch menus
- Make online payments to their child’s meal account
- Monitor their child’s accounts
- Schedule recurring payments and/or low balance alerts
- Submit an online application for the Free and Reduced Meals program
*While MySchoolBucks is no longer used for meal payments, HCPSS continues to utilize it for a variety of payment needs.
Jump to: LINQ Connect | Menus, Nutrition & Allergies | Meal Payments | Meal Prices | Contact & Information | FAQs
Using LINQ Connect
LINQ Connect can easily be accessed online or via mobile app.
Parents/guardians can create an account to make online payments to their child’s meal account, monitor their child’s account, schedule automatic recurring payments, set up low balance alerts, submit a Free and Reduced Meals program application, and more.
Create a New Account OR Login to Account
When creating a new account, you do not need to use the same email/credentials as MySchoolBucks or other HCPSS applications. To add a student, parents/guardians will need your child’s student ID, which can be found by logging into HCPSS Connect Synergy.
NOTE: MySchoolBucks meal balances were automatically transferred to LINQ Connect. If your child had a balance at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, when you add your child to your profile, that meal balance will be displayed.To request a refund of meal balances at any time, complete this brief online form. Parents/guardians will need to provide your child’s cafeteria PIN, which can be located by logging in to HCPSS Connect Synergy and selecting the Student Info button.
Menus
All school menus can be accessed through the LINQ Connect parent/guardian portal, on the public-facing LINQ Connect website, or in the mobile app.
Please note, the public-facing LINQ website defaults to display Atholton Elementary. Users can select their child’s school by selecting the School box at the top left and choosing their school.
The LINQ Connect online menus additionally display nutritional information, allergens, dietary and religious restrictions, and more. Families with children in more than one school building can easily toggle between buildings via the same screen.
Nutritional and Allergen Concerns
All nutritional information for HCPSS meals is available via the LINQ Connect website.
Students with known food allergies (shellfish, tree nuts, gluten, lactose, etc.) must have a formal notice of their allergies from a doctor and submitted to the school nurse. Students who would like to purchase food from the cafeteria can have accommodations made that are suited to their allergies.
Meal Payments
Meal Payment
Meal payments may be made via credit card using the LINQ Connect portal. On-site payments and prepayments may be made using cash or check.
Each student is assigned a unique, 6-digit cafeteria PIN, which cashiers can look if a student forgets. This PIN allows HCPSS to receive reimbursements from the National School Lunch Program. Any meals purchased without a PIN will incur an additional charge of $0.30 for breakfast and $0.60 for lunch.
To request a refund of meal balances at any time, complete this brief online form. Parents/guardians will need to provide your child’s cafeteria PIN, which can be located by logging in to HCPSS Connect Synergy and selecting the Student Info button.
Unpaid Meal Charges
Parents/guardians are responsible for providing their student(s) with money for meals, or packing a meal from home. If a student forgets or does not have lunch, HCPSS practice is to ensure that no student goes hungry or is traumatized for lack of funds. A meal will be provided and a charge will be applied to the student’s meal account. Meals will never be taken away when there are no funds or a negative balance in a student’s meal account.
More information is provided in Board of Education Policy 4200 Meal Charges.
Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs)
The HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals.
Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility.
Meal Prices
Daily Meal Prices –
Daily meal prices apply for students whose families do not qualify for free or reduced meals.
Student Breakfast
Breakfast – $2.00
Reduced Price Breakfast – $0.00 (Find out how to qualify for FARMS)
Free Breakfast – $0.00 (Find out how to qualify for FARMS)
Student Lunch
Elementary School Lunch – $2.80
Middle/High School Lunch – $3.30
Reduced Price Lunch – $0.00 (Find out how to qualify for FARMS)
Free Lunch – $0.00 (Find out how to qualify for FARMS)
Milk (1/2 pint) – $0.50
Faculty and Staff
Adult Breakfast
Breakfast – $2.75
Adult Lunch
Regular Lunch – $4.50
Contact & More Info
Contact Us
Answers to frequently-asked-questions about HCPSS meals and Food Services can be found on the HCPSS Help website.
For any other questions or concerns, feel free to contact our office at 410-313-7134.
Provide Feedback
We value feedback from parents and community members on meal choices, nutrition and wellness, and many other topics to improve our services.
Food and Nutrition Services Feedback Form
View the USDA and Maryland State Department of Education Nondiscrimination Statements →