East Haven board approves several personnel contract templates and signs Healthy Foods Certification

The East Haven Board of Education approved a series of personnel contract templates and voted to participate in Connecticut’s Healthy Foods Certification for 2026–27, with narrow exemptions for sales at after‑school events.

Board members moved to approve contract templates for Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT), occupational therapists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and a physical therapist. Staff had described the RBT template as a one‑year contract with a $1‑per‑hour pay increase and a 0.5 percentage point rise in employee health insurance cost share; occupational therapist and BCBA templates were described as one‑year templates (with one BCBA on a three‑year contract). The physical therapist contract was presented as a multi‑year agreement for a long‑tenured employee, with approximately a $6,000 step between the current year and next and an adjustment to bereavement and sick‑leave language to align with Connecticut law. Cost‑share percentages reported ranged from 20.5% to 21.5% depending on the position.

All four personnel contract motions passed on roll‑call votes recorded in the meeting minutes.

Separately, the board certified participation in the Healthy Foods Certification — a district commitment that foods sold to students will meet Connecticut nutrition standards from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 — and approved narrowly defined exemptions allowing noncompliant items to be sold only at qualifying events after the school day or on weekends and only at the event location. Both motions passed on unanimous roll‑call votes.

CFO RJ noted invoice timing related to curriculum purchases and reported a small month‑to‑month increase in medical expenses for March; the board accepted routine POs and financial reports.