Derby High underwent renovations over the summer — new floors, new lights.

But one of the most noticeable changes is the missing vending machines, which are usually near the cafeteria.

“The vending machines were removed for no reason other than that we had to put the new floor down,” principal Tim Hamblin wrote in an email. “They will be back very soon and honestly they are such an incredibly little thing in the grand scheme of this project that they are not even on my radar. I would expect their return by midweek next week if not sooner.”

Are there benefits to not having the vending machines?

“I’m not sure there’s much of a health benefit in removing the vending machines because, to my knowledge, the foods and drinks that were offered were sugar free (soda) or water, and the snacks were approved under a nutrition guideline which food service must follow,” nurse Christy Fischer said. 

The nutrition guidelines are the standards set by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. These regulations, which were implemented under the Obama administration, were to offer more fruits and vegetables but also require the USDA to create nutrition standards for vending machines in schools.