Norwich ― Groton and New London school food services programs will provide summer meals at various Norwich sites starting Monday and running through Aug. 25, if a proposed contract between the Norwich school district’s plan to outsource its food service program is not approved by the state in time to take over the summer service.

State and local school officials held a second online hour-long conference Friday to discuss issues involving the school budget deficit, a plan to cut back on preschool programs and the school district’s failure to provide summer meals to children ages 18 and under at 21 state-approved sites.

Volunteers with the Bully Busters youth advocacy group have been making and distributing lunches at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and various city apartment complexes and summer sports programs since last week.

Most workers left at the end of the school year, rather than be forced to apply for their positions with the new firm the school system has hired to run the food service program, Chartwells.

The planned takeover of the city school meals program is stalled while awaiting state approval of the contract. State officials, however, said Friday that Norwich failed to follow the proper procedure in that the contract was supposed to be reviewed and approved by the state before Chartwells was announced as the new vendor.

To recover the summer meals program, the state Department of Education contacted school districts in neighboring towns to provide federally approved meals at the sites. State Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said the state had to approve the locations first.

Norwich Public Schools sent a letter to families Friday evening announcing the sites, times and even detailed menus at each site.

Beginning Monday, July 3, Groton school meals program will provide meals at Norwich Free Academy, Norwich Recreation Department, the John Moriarty and Uncas elementary schools. When the Norwich Recreation “Summer Jam” begins at St. Mark’s church, Groton will serve that program as well.

Groton meal program menus are posted on the Norwich Public Schools website, www.norwichpublicschools.org.

The new London schools food services program will provide lunches at the Melrose Apartments, Mohegan Park Apartments and Otis Library.

During Friday’s online call, state Rep. Derell Wilson, D-Norwich, expressed concern that there was no free summer meals site in heavily populated Taftville, where many low-income families live. Deborah Monahan, executive director at the Thames Valley Council for Community Action, offered to have her agency, which runs a childcare center in Taftville, provide meals in Taftville.

“As additional sites become available, they will be posted on our website and sent via email to families,” Norwich school Business Administrator Robert Sirpenski wrote Friday. “We are thankful for the support from the (state Department of Education), Groton Public Schools Food Service, New London Public Schools Food Service and our Norwich volunteers from Bully Busters and all of the community support that we received.”

c.bessette@theday.com