Nutrition Services

ALL families with children enrolled in the district should complete an Application for Educational Benefits each year.

Information provided on Applications for Educational Benefits:

• Generates millions of dollars in funding for Roseville Area Schools and our schools, students, and families.
• Determines benefits for students and families such as reduced activity fees, free bus cards and discounted internet service. 

The Application for Educational Benefits (formerly known as Free and Reduced) can be completed beginning early August at LINQ Connect Family Portal.

1. Visit  LINQ Connect Family Portal.
2. Click on the green "Start Meal Application" button (log in not required).
3. Follow the instructions to complete your online application.

An eligibility notice letter will arrive via mail or email within 10 business days.

Additional Information:

• One application needed per family each year.
• This form used to be called the “Free and Reduced Lunch” form
• The income thresholds are higher than in some programs, so many families are surprised to find they DO qualify.

Roseville Area Schools is proud to have a robust Farm-to-School program featuring locally grown, sourced, or made items in all of its programming (breakfast, lunch, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, after-school super snack, Summer Food Service Program). 

Minnesota Thursday

Every other Thursday, we menu an all-local lunch menu.  Elementary students learn about where the food comes from, how it grows and how it affects their bodies ever Minnesota Thursday in their classroom. Be sure to check out our Minnesota Thursday menu days, which feature a twice monthly all-local menu!   #MNThursday

Beginning this year, all students will watch a short video each Minnesota Thursday in their classrooms to learn about the food on their trays--where it comes from, how it grows and how it effects their bodies.  All Minnesota Thursday Ag in the Classroom video can be viewed here.

A HUGE thanks to our partners for sourcing locally:

• Produce & other products
  • The Good Acre
  • Co-op Partners Warehouse
    • Apples
    • Beets
    • Broccoli
    • Brussels Sprouts
    • Cabbage
    • Carrots
    • Cauliflower
    • Cucumbers
    • Green Beans
    • Kohlrabi
    • Onions
    • Potatoes- Purple, Yukon Gold, Fingerling
    • Radishes
    • Summer Squash
    • Sweet Corn
    • Sweet Potatoes
    • Zucchini
    • Watermelon
    • Winter Squash- Butternut, Delicata, Spaghetti
    • Tofu
    • Eggs
• Turkey
  • Ferndale Market-Cannon Falls, MN
• Chicken
  • Smart Chicken -NE Nebraska
  • Kadejan Inc -Glenwood, MN
• Beef
  • Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed -Becker, MN
  • Churchill Reserve- Cannon Falls, MN
• Pork
  • Hidden Stream Farm, Elgin, MN
• Dairy/Milk
  • Bongards Premium Cheese -Perham or Bongards, MN
  • St. Paul Beverage Solutions -St. Paul, MN
  • Land O’Lakes- Arden Hills, MN
• Wild Rice
  • Red Lake Nation Foods -Red Lake, MN
• Pinto Beans
  • Askegaard Organic Farm -Moorhead, MN
• Mushrooms
  • R & R Cultivation – New Hope, MN
• Fresh Breads & Buns
  • Pan-O-Gold- St. Cloud, MN
• Whole Wheat Flour and Cornmeal
  • Sunrise Flour Mill – North Branch, MN
• French Baguettes
  • Mi Sant – Roseville, MN
• Maple Syrup
  • Hamel -Hamel, MN
• Sambusas
  • Hoyo Sambusa – Bloomington, MN
• Plant-forward
  • Deeply Rooted- Cannon Falls, MN
  • The Amazing Chickpea- New Hope, MN
• Treats
  • Jonny Pops
  • Mixmi Frozen Yogurt

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a federal grant that provides a fresh fruit or vegetable snack to qualifying K-8 schools.   The goal of the FFVP is to introduce children to fresh fruits and vegetables, to include new and different varieties, and to increase overall acceptance and consumption of fresh, unprocessed produce among children. The FFVP also encourages healthier school environments by promoting nutrition education.

The following schools are participating in FFVP during the 2023-2024 school year: Edgerton Elementary, Central Park Elementary, Harambee Elementary and Little Canada Elementary 

Roseville Area Schools will make reasonable substitutions to meals and/or snacks on a case-by-case basis for participants who are considered to have a disability that restricts their diet. Guardians must request special diet accommodations using this form*.

CLICK HERE to complete a Special Diet Statement

A special diet statement MUST:

• Contain the following information in order to be considered complete:
  • Food or allergen to be avoided
  • Explanation of how exposure would affect the participant
  • Foods to be substituted
• Be completed and signed by one of the following state-licensed medical authorities:
  • Physician
  • Physician Assistant
  • Advanced Practice Care Nurse, such as a Nurse Practitioner

*NOTE: If the child’s IEP or 504 Plan includes the same information that is required in a Special Diet Statement, it is not necessary for the school to obtain a separate Special Diet Statement.

The following are dietary preferences and are not considered medical conditions or disabilities and, thus, we are not legally required to accommodate but will do our best to ensure children have access to appropriate choices when able.

• Lifestyle choices (such as vegan, vegetarian, or organic)
• Religious choices (such as eliminating pork)
• General health concerns (such as a preference that a child eat a gluten-free diet because a guardian believes it is better for the child)

More information can be found here:

• Accommodating Children with Disabilities in School Meal Programs (USDA Guide)
• Accommodating Children with Disabilities in School Meal Programs Questions and Answers (USDA memo SP-26-2017)

Families may request a student meal account refund or donate money to the Nutrition Services "Angel Fund," which helps students who are still hungry after their first and request extra food but cannot afford to buy additional meals. If you would like to do a student meal account transfer, you can do so by completing the survey linked below. 

CLICK HERE to Request a Meal Account Refund/Transfer

Note: School meals will be free beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. However, meal accounts will still be used for students who wish to purchase food beyond the first free meal.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online (CLICK HERE), from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.