Norwich ― The school system’s free summer meals program will remain in flux next week, as the state continues to review the district’s plan to hire a private firm to run school food services starting July 1.

Volunteers led by the Norwich Bully Busters youth advocacy program have stepped in to fill a gap in services, making lunches for children at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church this week. They will continue that effort next week, Bully Busters director Debbie Kievits said Wednesday.

But school Business Administrator Robert Sirpenski sent a letter to Norwich families Wednesday afternoon stating that meals provided by outside entities not approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture cannot be served at official summer meals sites.

“We are not permitted to bring in private vendors or accept donations of food,” Sirpenski wrote. “We thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

The problem occurred after school ended for the summer, and staff at the district-run food services program departed. They would normally run the summer meals program but the district had ended its food services department and Chartwells is not yet on board.

The summer meals at 21 state-approved sites were supposed to start June 20, but Norwich had only three staff members still working at the soon-to-be defunct program.

The contract with Chartwells food services management firm was to start July 1, with that firm providing meals at Norwich Free Academy and 20 other state-approved sites.

But state Department of Education spokesman Eric Scoville said in an email to The Day Wednesday that Norwich did not submit the proposed contract with Chartwells until after hours on Friday, June 9. Four other school districts’ proposals, also set to start July 1, were in line for review ahead of Norwich, Scoville wrote.

He said the state Department of Education has identified “significant issues and concerns” with the proposed Norwich contract, potentially delaying action further.

“Due to the complexity of these contracts and the volume of federal funding involved, the review process, if all things are in order, is typically three weeks,” Scoville wrote.

Without staff in the interim, Norwich has been providing meals only at NFA and the Bishop Early Learning Center.

Scoville said state officials learned of the summer meals problem during an online meeting between state and local education officials last Thursday to discuss the district’s plan to close Bishop Early Learning Center. Scoville said complaints came in that families were going to some of the 21 approved and advertised meal sites to find no meals.

Bully Busters volunteers have spread the word that they are providing meals at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 248 Broadway, from noon to 1 p.m. through Friday this week and now at least on Monday and Wednesday next week. The group invited staff running summer youth programs and at local apartment complexes to pick up bagged lunches for children at those sites, Kievits said.

“Our goal is just to get kids fed,” Kievits said. “We’re getting great support from the community.”

Sirpenski wrote that the state Department of Education held a conference call with Norwich Public Schools officials Wednesday morning to discuss interim plans for the official summer meals sites.

USDA-approved sponsors have been secured to serve meals next week to include three sites, NFA, now serving 105 meals daily, and Norwich Recreation programs at the John Moriarty School, 20 Lawler Lane, and Uncas School, 280 Elizabeth St. Ext. The preschool program ends Thursday, so the Bishop site will cease to be served.

Kievits said the community volunteer effort will continue at St. Mark’s.

“Now we will have four summer meals sites,” she said.

Kievits said Bully Busters served about 40 meals Wednesday, and organizers of the volunteer Night Flight summer basketball league picked up about 30 lunches for their participants.

Kievits said she received a call from the Groton food services program manager, who said he was asked by the state Department of Education to contact her to set up some lunches at St. Mark’s Church. They will meet Thursday to discuss the plan.

Scoville said the state contacted neighboring school districts to help provide summer meals in Norwich throughout the summer, and Groton and New London districts are working to provide meals at select Norwich locations starting next week.

“CSDE is continuing to work with other potential providers of meals for Norwich students,” Scoville wrote in the email.

c.bessette@theday.com