School meals continue to be free of charge but for students that purchase extras such as drinks and chips, families should be aware that the Portland Public Schools Food Service is transitioning to a new payment software in the spring of 2026 — and the current payment software, PayPAMS, will no longer be taking online payments for students’ meal accounts after December 31, 2025. The system will still be available for students to be able to deposit cash or checks at their schools. Parents/guardians still will be able to see their child's lunch activity, but will not be able to make online payments on it after the end of 2025. We will update families in the new year with specifics on when the new payment software system, LINQ Connect, will become available.