Journey of Having a Child With Food Allergies In a Public School

By Melody and Richard Kloepfer

In the fall of 2021, our son Garrison started 3rd grade, going to ‘in-person’ classes again, attending a public school for the first time. He has life threatening allergies to dairy and anything bovine related. When we initially went to the public Elementary School open house for kindergarten, our son got hives and his eye swelled from just being at the school with no food out. All he did was touch the crayons on the table and color. After that, we knew Garrison could not attend that school. In addition, we were informed the students had parties in class with food too. He went to a private school for the first 2 years and then we transferred him to public school for 2nd grade because he was learning at home during the covid pandemic. We were very happy with his on-line second grade teacher at the Elementary School and knew it was the perfect fit for our son. Our only challenge was our son’s life-threatening food allergies.

We wanted to ensure our son would be safe attending a public school in person the following year. In the spring of 2021, we discovered the Palm Beach County School District has had a policy for keeping children with food allergies safe and preventing human error since 2011. Unfortunately, we discovered the policy is not well understood, nor followed. The policy, I am referring to, is ‘District’s policy/code 5.324, Students with Life Threatening Health Conditions and its addendum at our son’s school, specifically the section Comprehensive Protocols to Maintain the Safety and Health of Students for Life Threatening Health Conditions R/T Allergies. We met with the Vice Principal before ’21-’22 classes started to discuss how this policy is implemented, as we were very comfortable sending our son there if the policy was followed. It was very apparent from the meeting, they really hadn’t an awareness of the policy, but also the school wanted nothing more than to keep Garrison safe. Everyone does! The reality of keeping children safe with food allergies is another thing, especially if you do not have to live with it: reading labels, using great caution or limiting going to public gatherings, and celebrations. There is a big learning curve as parents of a child with life threatening food allergies. We had to change our lives, how and what we ate, holiday celebrations, how we traveled, and more. The general population just doesn’t get it.

As the ’21-’22 school year unfolded, we found numerous examples of the school permitting/encouraging food in the classroom and food rewards or parties, in conflict with the official district policy. Encouraging food in the classroom and food rewards or parties, in conflict with the official district policy. Discussions with the school regarding this did not get us anywhere, as they were convinced, they were following the policy and offered alternatives for our son. We assume they feel they somehow met the intent of keeping students safe by considering them on an individual basis. We did understand and appreciate they were doing their best to make our son safe at the Elementary School, yet they were not following the procedures, which would be the much more effective and reliable path. By following procedures, they would not have to make exceptions for our son (or any other allergy kid) and significantly reduce the chance of human error. Again, we did appreciate the efforts they did make to keep our son safe and outside of the occasional hives, the year was a success. But allowing other children to have the allergens in class can have a direct impact on our son. Consider if you’ve ever had Doritos, Goldfish, Cheese-its, etc. or even a piece of chocolate. One will inevitably have the allergens on their fingers and a student would then transfer them to desks, books, computers, doorknobs. Then an allergy kid touches those surfaces followed by their own eye or neck or leg and reacts to it (and our son does come home fairly regularly with itchy hives). To our son, the site of potentially deadly food in his classroom is like seeing loaded guns there and negatively impacts his attention and learning.

However, during the spring FSA (Florida’s standardized state test) testing, Hershey’s Kisses were put on the students’ desks and a cheesy snack (Pirate Booty) was directly offered to our son by a teacher who had signed an acknowledgement of our son's allergy at the beginning of the year. It was the very situation, the policy/code 5.324 was written for, to prevent situations like these. We were very concerned and upset that a teacher, who knows our son, and has him for one of his weekly classes throughout the entire school year, did not seem aware that our son had a life-threatening food allergy to milk. We then decided we needed to do more by contacting the School Board/Superintendent asking the PBC School District if the specific procedures in the addendum are not really requirements, despite the verbiage: “The Following Procedures Shall be in Place at School to Address Life-Threatening Allergies.” Here are some excerpts from the letter that my husband and I sent to the School Board and Regional Superintendent:

We would like to address the apparent lack of adherence to the District’s policy/code 5.324, Students with Life Threatening Health Conditions and its addendum at our son’s school (and we suspect district wide), specifically the section Comprehensive Protocols to Maintain the Safety and Health of Students for Life Threatening Health Conditions R/T Allergies.

Can you verify whether and how this policy (released in August 2011) has been implemented in any District schools? Are the specific procedures in the addendum not really requirements, despite the verbiage: “The Following Procedures Shall be in Place at School to Address Life-Threatening Allergies”?

We request the district implement and enforce the protocols or provide rationale for not doing so and if not doing so, repeal or revise the policy to prevent confusion and a false sense of security. Also if not, please provide how the district will meet the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act with regards to life threatening allergies?

Before our son began in-person classes last August, we notified the school administration and nurse of his life-threatening allergy to dairy and anything bovine. We also stated in an email we were very comfortable sending him to the Elementary School if the procedures in the policy were followed and requested verification of how each protocol had been or would be implemented. We met with the Assistant Principal and were assured they would make all reasonable accommodations to keep our son safe, but they did not commit to or verify measures to meet specific policy procedures. It was notable the AP stated he immediately had to find and read the policy upon receiving our email, as if he had been previously unaware of it.

Below covers our experience with the school for each of the procedures under Classrooms – ensure a safe educational environment and safeguards for the protection of students with life threatening allergies:

1. Educate all teachers, aides, volunteers, substitutes and students about anaphylaxis. We do not know what has been done regarding this.

2. Alert teachers and their substitutes of any student with allergies and review his/her emergency health care plan. This has not been 100% adhered to. Our son has stated substitutes were unaware when he mentioned his allergy to them. He also had a Fine Arts teacher offer him cheese popcorn and Pirate Booty as snacks while helping out with the Reading FSA (a teacher he has a class with every week).

3. Prohibit the use of allergens related to a student’s allergy in class projects, parties, holidays/celebrations, arts, crafts, science experiments, snacks, or other purposes This has not been followed. The above cheesy treats during Reading FSA break. Hershey’s kisses given to the students before their Math FSA. Year-end pizza party. These are just the three most recent examples. Various treats/snacks have been given out at times throughout the year. While our son is usually "accommodated" and provided an alternative, there shouldn’t have to be if the prohibition were followed.

4. Prohibit the sharing or trading of food in the classroom We do not know what has been done regarding this.

5. Promote proper hand washing technique by adults and students and tables/desks should be cleaned with only approved school district fluids and procedures. We do not know what has been done regarding this and we understand dairy products are not going to be banned in the lunchroom. According to our son, students do not have to wash their hands after lunch or snacks. We do not know what the approved procedures for cleaning are. This year our son is in the first lunch period, but lunch table cleaning will become more important if he’s in the 2nd or 3rd lunch period next year. We do not know what cleaning is done in the classroom after snacks, but if item 3 were followed, it would not be an issue.

6. Send letters to parents/guardians of classmates about the allergen (without identifying the student) explaining any prohibitions on food or other activity in the classroom. This has not been followed. None of our son’s classmate’s parents were aware until we told them.

7. Promote non-food items for rewards, birthday parties, and other celebrations. This has not been followed. There have been numerous school wide reward incentives for pizza parties, ice cream parties, cookie crumble parties, etc. While we’ve been told our son or his class would be provided an alternative if they won, there shouldn’t have to be an "accommodation" if this item were followed.

This did get the attention of the regional superintendent and an acknowledgement from the Elementary School that they had not really been following the policy. We also contacted the local allergy group “Red Sneakers for Oakley” for support of our mission. The school has committed to do more this year and at least follow the policy in our son’s classroom, but the District has not followed up and answered our questions about the policy and its implementation across the entire district.