Sharon Board certifies healthy food participation and approves limited exemptions under state law

The Sharon Board of Education voted March 9 to certify participation in the Connecticut healthy foods option and to permit limited exemptions for certain food sales under state law.

By unanimous motion, the board certified that food items offered for sale to students — separate from reimbursable meals — will comply with the Connecticut Nutrition Standards for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, as required by C.G.S. Section 10-215f. The motion to certify (Vote 1) was made by Board member Peter Birnbaum and seconded by Board member Terry Vance; the transcript records the vote as carried unanimously.

A second, unanimous vote (Vote 2), moved by Konrad (Chip) Kruger and seconded by Cathy Winburn, approved allowing the sale to students of food items that do not meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards provided three conditions are met: 1) the sale is in connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular school day or on a weekend; 2) the sale is at the location of the event; and 3) the food items are not sold from a vending machine or school store. The transcript includes the board’s discussion of statutory definitions such as what constitutes an "event" and clarifies "regular school day" as used in the statute.

Authority: The actions were taken pursuant to C.G.S. Section 10-215f, which governs local board certification and permitted exemptions from the Connecticut Nutrition Standards.

What’s next: The board’s certification obligates staff and school programs to align food sales with the standards and to track any exempt sales to ensure they meet the statute’s conditions.