Food Allergy Policy

Food-allergic reactions can develop into severe or life-threatening reactions and, even with proper treatment, can be fatal. A student’s ability to learn may be drastically altered by their fears of a reaction. The Board will endeavor to provide a safe and healthy environment for students with severe and life-threatening food allergies and to address food allergy management in District schools in order to: 

1. Reduce the likelihood of severe or potentially life-threatening allergic reactions; 
2. Ensure a rapid and effective response in the case of a severe or potentially life threatening allergic reaction, and 
3. To provide students, through necessary accommodations, the opportunity to participate fully in all school programs and activities, including classroom parties and field trips. 

Food allergy management will focus on prevention, education, awareness, communication, and emergency response. 

District and school administrators will endeavor to be knowledgeable about and follow all applicable federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, all state laws and District policies/guidelines that may apply to students with allergies. Administrators or their designees may make all of the appropriate allergy forms available to parents, explain the procedures for completing and returning them, and ensure that all forms and health records submitted by parents and physicians are reviewed by the appropriate personnel. Administrators and school nurses may also meet with parents and listen to their needs and concerns. 

When a student has been identified as having food allergies verified by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, individual written management plans may be used to determine accommodations to be made on a daily basis to prevent and prepare for an allergic reaction. An emergency care plan may be used to provide direction in the event of a life threatening allergic reaction at school or at a school event. Key staff members may be trained to use emergency medications and may be notified of the location of those medications at school and at any special function. 

The Superintendent or designee, in coordination with the school nurse, school nutrition services staff, and other pertinent staff, may develop administrative regulations to implement this policy, including regulations pertaining to all classrooms and instructional areas, school cafeterias, outdoor activity areas, school buses, field trips, and school activities held before or after the school day. 

Administrative regulations may address the following components: 

1.   Identification of students with food allergies and provision of school health services; 
2.   Development and implementation of individual written management plans; 
3.   Medication protocols, including methods of storage, access and administration; 
4.   Development of a comprehensive and coordinated approach to creating a healthy school environment; 
5.  Ensuring that the needs of children with documented allergies are taken into consideration in planning for district programs 
6. Communication and confidentiality; 
7.  Emergency response; 
8. Professional development and training for school personnel; 
9. Awareness education for students and parents/guardians;
10. Training for District staff and volunteers; and 
11. Policy monitoring and evaluation. 

Allergy-related policies, protocols, and plans may be updated annually or after any serious allergic reaction occurs at school or at a school-sponsored activity. 

The Superintendent or designee may annually notify students, parents/guardians, staff and the public about the District’s food allergy management policy by publishing such in handbooks and newsletters, on the District’s website, through posted notices, or other efficient methods. 

Students with allergies will be treated in a way that encourages the student to report possible exposure to allergen and any symptoms of an allergic reaction, and to progress toward self-care with his or her food allergy management skills. Allergy-related bullying will not be tolerated. 

The parent/guardian is expected to provide an adequate supply of the medication to be dispensed, and to retrieve any unused medication at the end of the school year or at the withdrawal of the student. Medication that is not retrieved by the parent/guardian by the student’s last day of attendance during the school year will be disposed of by the District. This disposal will be verified by two (2) people. 

Cross Reference: 

2161 Special Education 

2162 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

3416 Administering Medicines to Students Authorization for Self-Administered                         

Asthma/Emergency Medication 

Policy History: Adopted on: 03/22/2016 Reviewed on: Revised on: 

Wellness Policy

The School District is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of the School District that:

The development of the school wellness policy, at a minimum, will include:

1. Community involvement, including input from teachers of physical education and school health professionals, parents, students, school food service, the school Board, school administrators, educators, and the public. Training of this team of people on the components of a healthy school nutrition environment is recommended. 
2. Goals for nutrition education, nutrition promotion, physical activity, and other school-based activities that are designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the local education agency determines appropriate. 
3. Implementation, Periodic Assessment, and Public Updates, including expanding the purpose of the team of collaborators beyond the development of a local wellness policy to also include the implementation of the local welness policy with periodic review and updates, inform and update the public every three years, at a minimum, (including parents, students, and others in the community) about the content and implementation of the local wellness policies, and to measure periodically and make available to the public an assessment of the local wellness including:
   • The extent to which schools are in compliance with the local wellness policy; 
   • The extent to which the LEA’s local wellness policy compares to model local school wellness policies; and 
   • The progress made in attaining the goals of the local wellness policy. 
4. Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on each school campus under the local education agency during the school day, with the objectives of promoting student health and nutrient-rich meals and snacks. This includes food and beverages sold in a la carte sales, vending machines, and student stores; and food and beverages used for classroom rewards and fundraising efforts. 
5. Guidelines for reimbursable school meals to ensure that the District offers school meal programs with menus meeting the meal patterns and nutrition standards established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
6. A plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy, including designation of one or more persons within the local education agency or at each school, as appropriate, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that each school fulfills the District’s local wellness policy.
   

The suggested guidelines for developing the wellness policy include:

Nutrition Education and Nutrition Promotion

All students K-12 shall receive nutrition education that teaches the knowledge and skills needed to adopt healthy eating behaviors and is aligned with the Montana Health Enhancement Standards. Nutrition education shall be integrated into the curriculum. Nutrition information and education shall be offered and promoted throughout the school campus and based on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Staff who provide nutrition education shall have the appropriate training, such as in health enhancement or family and consumer sciences.

Health Enhancement and Physical Activity Opportunities

The District shall offer health enhancement opportunities that include the components of a quality health enhancement program taught by a K-12 certified health enhancement specialist, if permitted by staffing levels. Health enhancement shall equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for lifelong physical activity. Health enhancement instruction shall be aligned with the Montana Health Enhancement Standards.

All K-12 students of the District shall have the opportunity to participate regularly in supervised, organized or unstructured, physical activities, to maintain physical fitness, and to understand the short- and long-term benefits of a physically active and healthy lifestyle.

Nutrition Standards

The District shall ensure that reimbursable school meals and snacks meet the program requirements and nutrition standards found in federal regulations including but not limited to Smart Snacks in School Nutrition Standards. The District shall encourage students to make nutritious food choices through accessibility, advertising and marketing efforts of healthful foods.

The District shall monitor all food and beverages sold or served to students during the normal school day, including those available outside the federally regulated child nutrition programs (i.e., a la carte, vending, student stores, classroom rewards, fundraising efforts). The District shall consider nutrient density and portion size before permitting food and beverages to be sold or served to students. The Superintendent shall continually evaluate vending policies and contracts. Vending contracts that do not meet the intent and purpose of this policy shall be modified accordingly or not renewed.

Other School-Based Activities Designed to Promote Student Wellness

The District may implement other appropriate programs that help create a school environment that conveys consistent wellness messages and is conducive to healthy eating and physical activity, such as staff wellness programs, non-food reward system and fundraising efforts.

Maintaining Student Wellness

The Superintendent shall develop and implement administrative rules consistent with this policy. Input from teachers, parents/guardians, students, school food service program, the school Board, school administrators, and the public shall be considered before implementing such rules. A sustained effort is necessary to implement and enforce this policy. The Superintendent shall measure how well this policy is being implemented, managed, and enforced. The Superintendent shall report to the Board, as requested, on the District’s programs and efforts to meet the purpose and intent of this policy.

Food Allergy Management
Hardin School District has adopted Food Allergy Management Policy to address prevention, education, awareness, communication and emergency response of student allergies:

Food-allergic reactions can develop into severe or life-threatening reactions and, even with proper treatment, can be fatal.  A student’s ability to learn may be drastically altered by their fears of a reaction.  The Board will endeavor to provide a safe and healthy environment for students with severe and life-threatening food allergies and to address food allergy management in District schools in order to:
 

1. Reduce the likelihood of a severe or potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.
2. Ensure a rapid and effective response in the case of a severe or potentially life-threatening allergic reaction; and
3. To provide students, through necessary accommodations, the opportunity to participate fully in all school programs and activities, including classroom parties and field trips.