Board approves Connecticut nutrition‑standards certifications and event exceptions for 2025–26 school year

The Simsbury Board of Education approved three motions required by the Connecticut State Department of Education that govern allowable foods and beverages sold or provided to students and are tied to state reimbursement.

First, the board certified that all food items offered for sale to students that are not exempt from the Connecticut Nutrition Standards will comply with those standards during the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, consistent with the requirement set out in state law and the Department of Education guidance. The certification covers items sold separately from reimbursable meals, including school stores, vending machines and fundraising activities on school premises.

Second, under the statutory provision read into the record, the board allowed the sale to students of food items that do not meet the Connecticut nutrition standards if they are sold in connection with an event occurring after the regular school day or on the weekend, provided the sales occur at the event location and are not vending machine or school store sales. An “event” was read aloud from the statutory language to mean occurrences such as soccer games or school plays but not routine practices or meetings.

Third, the board approved a similar exception for beverages not listed in section cited from the Connecticut General Statutes, again limited to sales that occur at events after the school day or on weekends and not from vending machines or school stores.

Each motion was read into the record by a board member in the statutory language, moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. The board and presenters emphasized these certifications are required to receive state reimbursement tied to serving healthy meals and to govern competitive food sales and fundraising activities.