Welcome to Needham Public Schools!
The school cafeterias are open every school day (except early release days), serving many choices of nutritious hot and cold lunches, including a variety of fruit and vegetable options. Our goal is to serve fun, delicious, and healthy meals to as many students as possible.
Needham Public Schools will provide FREE meals to all students due to funding from the State of Massachusetts. Every student will receive a free complete meal - one breakfast and one lunch - per day.
Students may purchase a 2nd entree or any a la carte item only if there are funds available in their meal account to cover the cost of these items. If the student's account becomes negative with the purchase of these items, they will need to pay with cash at the point of sale.
Funds can be added to a student's meal account by choosing one of the following options:
By check:
- Send or bring a check to your child's school, in an envelope marked 'Cafeteria' for deposit into your child's account. Checks should be made payable to NPS Nutrition Services
- Record on the memo line of the check the student's name and PIN#.
Online: (Credit Card or E-check transfer)
If you choose to set up an online payment account, you must register your student on the LINQ Connect Portal (link below). You will enter your student's First and Last name, their Date of Birth, and their School ID#. Please use the email address that is associated with your student's PowerSchool record.
Cash is also accepted.
- Cash payments can be given directly to a Nutrition Services team member for deposit into the student's account.
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The Nutrition Services Department uses a computerized point-of-sale (POS) meal payment system, LINQ Connect. Below is information on how the meal payment system works.
> Upon enrollment in Needham Public Schools, the student is automatically enrolled in LINQ Connect. An individual meal account is created for each enrolled NPS student and the student is assigned a unique PIN#. Students should memorize their PIN# and be reminded that this is a personal code and should not be shared with anyone else.
If you need assistance regarding your student's PIN or School ID# information, please contact the Nutrition Services office at (781) 455-0400 x 11285.
> Parents/guardians can deposit money into the student's meal account by check, online, or cash. (see above)
> In the cafeteria there are computer touch-screen cash registers and PIN keypads for students to enter their PIN#.
> Cash sales are an option, although discouraged, as using cash can slow down the line leaving less time to for the student to eat.
> All student meal transactions are uniformly processed and recorded at the cash register for each student, regardless of the student's payment status (full pay, reduced price, or free).
> Students enter their PIN# on the keypad located at the register. (HS students will scan their school ID cards).
If a student forgets their PIN#, the Nutrition Services team member at the register can look up the student in the system.
> Purchases of 2nd entrees and any a la carte items are deducted from the student's meal account.
> When a student's meal account has a negative balance, an email notification is sent to the parent/guardian informing them of the negative account balance. Notifications are automatically generated through the LINQ Connect System and are sent on Sundays and Wednesdays each week.
> Middle and High School students are informed at the cash register when their meal account is getting low.
If you have any questions regarding the NPS school meal payment system or procedures, feel free to contact me.