Rocky Hill Board approves healthy-food certification, policy updates and nonrenewals; honors students

Board Chair Jessica Loffredo presided over the Rocky Hill Board of Education meeting April 23 at Town Hall Council Chambers, where the board unanimously approved the district's Annual Healthy Food Certification, adopted policy changes including a class-size guideline update and the second reading of an admission policy, and approved non-renewal of certain long-term and building substitute employees.

The approvals came with unanimous roll-call support from the seven board members present: Jessica Loffredo (chair), Maria Mennella (co-chair), Bryan Addy, Jennifer Baron-Morfea, Brian Clemens, Thomas Cosker and Kristen Dudanowicz. The board also recognized four students with Rocky Hill Civility Awards and honored outgoing board member Sean Gavin.

Why it matters: the Healthy Food Certification is a statutory requirement that confirms foods sold to students outside reimbursable school meals meet Connecticut Nutrition Standards. The board certified that food items offered for sale to students (separate from reimbursable meals) will comply with those standards for the period July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, pursuant to C.G.S. Section 10-215f. The board separately approved motion language to allow sale of noncompliant food and certain beverages in limited circumstances (for events outside the regular school day, at the event's location, and not from vending machines or school stores), referencing statutes governing beverage lists in Section 10-221q.

What the board voted on and next steps: the board recorded a 7-0 vote to adopt the Healthy Food Certification and a separate 7-0 vote to approve the combined food-and-beverage exemptions. The minutes include the formal certification language that applies districtwide and specify the certification period above. The board also approved: a draft change to Policy #6120 (class-size guidelines) and the second reading of Policy #5200 (admission to public school at or before age five); both motions passed unanimously. The minutes do not include the full amended policy texts beyond the policy numbers and the recorded approvals.

Personnel action: the board voted unanimously to non-renew certain long-term and building substitute employees. The minutes record the motion and outcome but do not specify which positions or how many employees are affected; that detail was not included in the written minutes.

Other business and reports: staff reported on the April 10 Career Expo (Jordan Szcygiel, technology education teacher) and on Diversity & Inclusion programming for the 2025-26 school year (Wendy Durand, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction); traffic and parking updates and routine administrative reports were also noted in the minutes. The board entered and exited an executive session to review a confidential attorney-client privileged memorandum earlier in the meeting; the minutes record only the motion and that the session occurred.

The board adjourned at 9:33 p.m. The minutes include the standard administrative instructions that the original must be submitted to the Town Clerk of Rocky Hill within 48 hours of adjournment.