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Norwalk board approves healthy-food certification, exemptions, interschool food agreement and routine consent items
Summary
The Norwalk Board of Education unanimously approved the Healthy Food Option Participation certification for 2026–27 (per CGS §10‑215f), a set of food exemptions for after‑school events, a full-service interschool food agreement with Side by Side Charter School, and multiple consent items including personnel approvals and a $300,000 transfer to the school lunch fund.
The Norwalk Board of Education approved a slate of routine and state-mandated items Tuesday, including a healthy-food certification for 07/01/2026–06/30/2027, narrowly defined exemptions for after-school event sales, and a full-service interschool food agreement with Side by Side Charter School.
The certification, read into the record pursuant to CGS §10-215f, requires that food items offered for sale to students during the 2026–27 period comply with Connecticut Nutrition Standards; the board moved and seconded the action and recorded a unanimous "aye" vote on the motion. "Resolved upon the recommendation of the superintendent... the Norwalk Public Schools Board of Education certifies that all food items offered for sale to students... will comply with the Connecticut Nutrition Standards during the period of 07/01/2026 through 06/30/2027," a board reader said while reading the statutory language.
Board members also approved criteria allowing limited exemptions for food items sold at events occurring after the regular school day (for example, games or school plays) provided the sales occur at the event’s location and are not sold through vending machines or school stores during the regular school day. That motion was moved and seconded and approved unanimously.
A motion to approve a 2026–27 full-service interschool food agreement with Side by Side Charter School (restricted to food services) was similarly moved, seconded and approved without recorded opposition.
On the consent agenda, the board approved personnel items, a budget transfer dated Feb. 26, 2026, trip approvals and minutes with noted corrections. Finance staff reported a transfer of roughly $300,000 into the school lunch fund to help stabilize food services; the board also noted philanthropic and city contributions toward the lunch program but that the fund still does not fully cover lunch-program costs.
No board member opposed the listed items during the public meeting; votes were taken by voice and recorded as unanimous. The meeting minutes and consent documents will include the formal motions and supporting packet materials.
What this means: The healthy-food certification ensures district compliance with state nutrition standards and clarifies permitted exemptions for after-school events. The interschool agreement allows coordinated food service with a neighboring charter school. The $300,000 transfer to the school lunch fund was presented as a one-time reconciliation step and will be reflected in the district’s fiscal-year accounting.
