New food allergy policy debuts in Seaford

It only took one day for the Seaford School District’s new policies on food allergies to draw concerns, but school officials say the changes need some time to work.

Last year, the district formed an Anaphylaxis Committee consisting of parents, teachers, staff and administrators, to address concerns about students with food allergies, particularly in the lunchroom and in classrooms. As a result of the meeting, this year the district implemented a change in cafeteria procedures at its two elementary schools.

Children without food allergies, who bring their lunches to school, will sit at one set of tables, and children with food allergies who bring their lunch, as well as every student who buys lunch, sit at a different set of tables. “School lunches we know are safe, or allergen free,” Superintendent Brian Conboy said.

Parents Christina Grimaldi and Christine Frank spoke at the Sept. 3 Board of Education meeting, which followed the first day of school in Seaford. They said their children, students at the Harbor School, purchased their lunches and were unable to sit with their friends who brought their lunches from home.

Grimaldi said her son, a third-grader, had to sit by himself, and came home from the first day of school upset about that. “How do you explain to a kid who’s just getting food that you can’t sit where you want to sit?” she asked.

Conboy said that on a typical day, a majority of students buy lunch, so it is unlikely that students will continue to feel segregated. He said it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of the changes after one day, and that the district is trying to develop procedures that ensures no children feel isolated.

Grimaldi and Frank also expressed concerns about another change which bans all celebration food in classrooms. While they said they understand the safety issues behind the policy shift, they said there are some traditional activities each year that involve food that would now be eliminated, and hope a compromise can be reached.

Board President Bruce Kahn said the principals need an opportunity to analyze how the changes in the food allergy policy are working, and make any adjustments they need to. The district will keep its Anaphylaxis Committee in tact, and will address concerns that are raised by parents, Conboy added.