Eastford Board certifies nutrition compliance, repeals bullying policy and approves calendar dates

At its April 10, 2025 meeting, the Eastford Board of Education approved several administrative certifications and policy actions, including the Healthy Food Certification required by state law and the repeal of an existing bullying policy.

By motion of Robert Ellsworth, seconded by Lauren Barlow, the Board certified under Connecticut General Statutes Section 10-215f that all food items offered for sale to students will comply with the Connecticut Nutrition Standards during the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The certification recorded the Board’s acceptance of statutory exceptions allowing the sale of noncompliant food or beverage items when sold in connection with events after the regular school day, provided specified conditions are met; the minutes reference Section 10-221q in describing permitted beverage exceptions. The motion passed unanimously.

The Board voted unanimously (motion by Lauren Barlow, seconded by Adam Minor) to repeal Policy 5131.911, Bullying Prevention and Intervention, effective July 1, 2025. The minutes record the repeal as an adopted action but do not include additional details about replacement language or implementation steps.

The Board also adopted the updated 2024 Pest Management Plan (motion by Barlow/Minor) and recorded unanimous passage. Several other policy documents were received for first reading, including a new CABE Climate Plan policy, Shipman & Goodwin climate plan regulations and restorative practices policy, updates to policies on student discipline and sex-discrimination/harassment for students and personnel, pesticide application policy, a new pest management plan (adopted), visitor/observation policy, and school safety and security policy; those items were received for first reading and not acted on beyond receipt.

Administratively, the Board set the last day of school for students as June 13, 2025, and set the Grade 8 graduation date for June 13, 2025 (motions by Ellsworth/Barlow; both motions passed unanimously). The Board also amended the agenda to add acceptance of the Scholarship Committee recommendations and subsequently voted to accept those recommendations (motion Barlow/Bilica); the minutes list acceptance of the Ethel Cushing Gardner Music Scholarship recipients without naming the awardees in the meeting text.

Where the minutes record votes, they indicate unanimous passage but do not list individual yes/no tallies by name. The minutes also do not record specific implementation steps or timelines for the repeal of Policy 5131.911 or replacement policies; the items listed as first reading will require further board consideration before final adoption.