District 15 wants 'inclusive practices' for students with severe food allergies
A Palatine Township Elementary District 15 committee of parents, administrators and others is expected to offer ideas on ways to improve how schools across the system handle children with severe food allergies.
Superintendent Scott Thompson said the advisory committee began meeting in November and is expected to make a presentation at a school board meeting in May.
“They have been looking at inclusive practices and social and emotional wellness,” Thompson said at this month's board session. “They have been examining procedures and practices in the cafeteria. They visited some schools just to see how they functioned.”
He added the committee has examined how children with severe food allergies can socialize and remain safe during school-day celebrations.
District 15 has had a food allergy policy based on an Illinois State Board of Education initiative since 2010. However, officials said, the district's 21 buildings have not had a consistent way to address the issue.
Concerns about how food allergies are handled at District 15 were raised by some parents last June. Dave Barnett, a father of children with food allergies, is among the committee members.
Thompson said others on the committee include teachers, PTA representatives, social workers, administrators and transportation employees.
District 15 board President Lisa Szczupaj said Tuesday it was important to have Barnett and other parents with children suffering from food allergies on the panel so they could have “involvement and ownership.”
“I'm actually pretty thrilled with the way it played out,” Szczupaj said.
To put faces on the food allergy concerns, the committee plans to shoot a video with some District 15 students dealing with the condition. Those students would have a message for peers and parents about food allergies and how they might be better accommodated at school.
“I do think it's going to be pretty impactful,” Szczupaj said, “and there's no doubt it'll be well done.”
District 15's current policy notes that school attendance may increase a child's risk of exposure to allergens that could trigger a food allergy reaction in classrooms, on field trips, in the cafeteria or while using student transportation.
The management program calls for a cooperative effort by families, employees and students to reduce risks and provide accommodations and proper treatment for allergic reactions. The policy also states all employees are supposed to be educated and trained on handling students with food allergies.