Adopted by the School Board:
Allergy and Wellness Documents - May 2008

Letter to School Board:

TO:            AHSD 25 School Board

FR:            Sarah Jerome, Superintendent

DT:            April 29, 2008

RE:            Wellness, Use of Foods in Schools and in Related Activities;
and Allergy Guidelines

District personnel, including school nurses and administrators, have been engaged in an in-depth study of foods and allergies for the past year.  As a result, the School Board is presented with the following information. 

Part I (Tab 1)
Part 1 includes two board policies that are recommended for review and adoption.  Policy 6:50 is the Wellness Policy adopted on April 27, 2006, re-affirmed on April 12, 2007, and updated January 28, 2010.  The District Wellness Committee met in December 2007 and recommended additions to the Wellness Policy.  (see Tab 1)  Many opinions exist on the District Wellness Committee.  Some members of the Wellness Committee believe the recommended changes do not go far enough to encourage wellness and decrease obesity.  Some would like to see all sweets banned and only healthy foods allowed.  Others prefer a more moderate approach.  The Board will see in the recommended changes an emphasis on healthy foods and an encouragement to restrict the use of foods as an instructional tool unless there is a compelling instructional case to be made to incorporate food in the lesson.

Board policy 7:270 is focused on administering medicines to students.  Minor changes were recommended by the school nurses and approved by the district’s school attorney.  (see Tab 1)

Part II (Tab 2)

The Food Service in AHSD 25 statement has been carefully studied.  The debate has centered around whether the school district can and should ban peanuts from its school lunch program and other related school events.  After much deliberation, study of other state and district plans, consultations with Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), Mothers of Children Having Allergies (MOCHA), Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Children’s Memorial Hospital, and feedback from families with children with allergies and the district’s school attorney, the district personnel have concluded that total bans of specific allergens in the food service program is not possible and thus not the best way to address the needs of children with allergies.  Our conclusion is that an allergen-free meal and an allergen-free table will provide a safe and appropriate alternative for children with life-threatening allergies.  These two options are available now and have been available for many years.  It is recommended the Board take action to approve this statement of services.

Part III (Tab 3)
District 25 Resource Guide for Supporting Students with Life-Threatening Allergies identifies the responsibilities of students, parents and school staff.  The guide provides important information on incidents and interventions.  This document has been reviewed by school nurses, principals, the administrative team, selected teachers and parents, and the district’s school attorney.  The draft document was mailed to 119 families.  Feedback was received from 20 parents.  In addition, advice and feedback has been sought from ISBE, FAAN, MOCHA, Children’s Memorial Hospital Allergy Department, and parents of children with allergies. It is recommended the Board take action to approve this Resource Guide.  As the science and research changes, so will our Resource Guide and thus this document will be periodically reviewed.  Not every reader agrees with every facet of the Guide.  Some readers have encouraged total bans on peanuts and other nuts.  Some have encouraged EpiPens in every room of the school.  We have incorporated many of the suggestions of our readers; however, some suggestions have not been included for carefully considered reasons.  According to FAAN, less than one percent of the nation’s schools attempt to ban allergens.  There are other steps to take to provide a safe school environment.  We believe our approach accomplishes this goal.

APPENDICES – Other Resources (Tab 4)
Six states – Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington – have state board of education approved guides for managing allergies in schools.  I have copies.  Please let me know if you wish to have a copy.  I included in your materials the Lake Forest School District Resource Guide.  Others are available upon request.  We studied District 39 (Wilmette), District 67 (Lake Forest), and District 64 (Park Ridge-Niles) guidelines.

Other resources include a FAAN dvd.  Please return your copy when you have completed this work.  In addition, articles and samples of communication exchanges have been included for your review.

Thank you to the many contributors and readers.  Your thoughtful reflections and advice are greatly appreciated.

© 2011-12 Arlington Heights School District 25
1200 S. Dunton Avenue
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005