Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) staff shall make substitutions or modification for students with disabilities. Such substitutions or modification shall be based on a written prescription from a licensed physician.
Students with food allergies that may result in severe, life presentencing reactions shall be provided with food substitutions as prescribed by a licensed physician.
The Special dietary form must be completed and signed by a licensed physician before the school cafeteria can provide any modification or substitutions.
FNS will try to accommodate special dietary needs for students without a disability. However, USDA regulations state that the school is not required to serve special meals to all children with diet restrictions. Such determinations are made on a case-by-case basis by the Food and Nutrition Services Dietitian, and must be supported by the same Special Diet Prescription Form signed by a licensed physician.
FNS considers religious and ethnic food preference requests and will try to assist parents in providing an alternative when possible or economically feasible. Such determinations are made on a case-by-case basis by the FNS Dietitian, and must be supported by the same Special Diet Prescription Form.
Below are the 3 categories for requiring special meals and the required signatures for each category.
- Disabilities: Physician Signature Required Orthopedic, visual, Speech/Swallowing problems, Emotional illness, food anaphylaxis (severe food allergy), physical/mental impairment, cancer, heart disease, PKU, celiac disease.
- Non-Disabled/Special Dietary Needs: Medical Authority Signature Required Food intolerances, non-anaphylaxis food allergy, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol.
- Religious/Ethnic Dietary Needs: Parent/Guardian Signature Required Religious beliefs, vegetarians, vegans.
For further information, including definitions of disabilities, other special dietary needs, and school responsibilities, please contact Tammy Cook RD, LDN, Coordinator, and Dietitian at (352) 671-4192.