THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2008
Parents Fear Unclear Food Policy
Dist. 25 Trying To Clarify As Children Allergic To Peanuts
By TOM ROBB
Journal Reporter
"District 25 is trying to kill my kid," said Denis Jones whose child is a sixth grader in the Arlington Heights elementary school district.
Jones' son has had a severe and possibly fatal allergy to peanuts since he was two-years-old. One year ago, Jones discovered the school was serving products with peanuts, seemingly against their own policy.
District officials confirm they still are serving peanuts, but only "a la carte".
Jones recently took his concerns to Springfield and spoke before a committee of the Illinois State Board of Education. He said he had always been reassured by the school policy posted in the school handbook and on the schools website that reads, "Due to the increase in peanut allergies, our program does not serve peanuts."
"On April, 19 last year, I was astonished when after six years of being assured that school lunches were safe for my son to eat, Food Services Director Colette Hines-Newell said that all of the food served in School Dist. 25 is manufactured on equipment that also handles peanuts," said Jones.
Jones and his son were attending a school function that evening in which snacks were served. He said his child asked a food service worker if the food contained peanuts. The worker referred him to Hines-Newell, who was in the room at the time. That's when Jones said Newell told his child she wasn't sure. He said his son was terrified.
Another family is also upset with food policies and practices in Dist. 25. While Jones' child has not become ill because of peanuts served in schools, another girl in the district has.
"Based on our experiences as parents and as medical professionals, the current school environment is conducive to a fatality," said Dr. Eric Gomez M.D. and Dr. Regina Gomez M.D., in a joint written statement. Their daughter is a student in a Dist. 25 school.
Dr. Eric Gomez works as a civilian in the United States Navy and Dr. Regina Gomez works at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights and with the DuPage County Department of Public Health in Addison.
Eric told the Journal that his daughter was exposed to peanuts during an activity in her first grade classroom that involved food and, though she has a potentially fatal allergy, only suffered a "gastrointestinal" reaction.
Supt. Sarah Jerome admitted to the Journal that the incident in the classroom occurred and that a cereal containing peanuts was served in the main peanut free food service line.
She said a food service employee has been reprimanded for the cereal incident and explained that the teacher in the first grade class was new. With a new principal she understands the school's policy regarding food is being followed now.
"We want every child to be safe but can't guarantee everything to be peanut free," said Jerome. "It is clear to us now after a year of experience what capacity we have."
"We just don't have the capacity to guarantee that kind of thing."
Jerome blames the food manufacturers saying, "You can't trust the label."
She said conditions at food packaging plants change faster than the district's ability to catch up with them.
Jones remains confused and upset that the district allows the serving of peanuts on its a la carte menu at the middle school when its policy says, "does not serve peanuts."
In an e-mail shared with the Journal by Jones, Jerome told Jones that in a closed session meeting on Feb. 28, 2008, "The board discussed the school lunch program and the a la carte foods. The distinction is that the school lunch program provides peanut free offerings, but the a la carte menu may have ingredients in the items that may be allergens to some children." She went on to say that some of those a la carte items might contain nuts.
Jerome defended the action in closed session saying the discussion was related to the reprimanding of the food service employee who allowed the cereal to be served.
Jones provided the Journal with e-mails and attachments of food labels sent to Mr. Jones from Hines-Newell that listed peanuts or peanut warnings.
Jerome said the a la carte practice allowing peanuts, and the stated policy banning them, is inconsistent and potentially confusing.
The School Board is planning to meet in May to clarify the food policy.
The district is required to provide a guaranteed peanut free substitute upon demand. Jerome said that substitute is a turkey sandwich.
Other area school districts the Journal contacted said they serve a hot meal as an alternate to allergies. Jerome said she and her staff are examining the practices of other districts to learn from them.
Jones testified in the public comment portion of an ISBE Audit and Finance Committee Hearing on Wednesday, Mar. 19. The Gomez' also submitted a written statement that was provided to the Journal.
Matt Vanover, a spokesman for the ISBE said, "We will look into it with the district to determine what happened."