Polk County Public Schools is scrapping a policy that barred students younger than 5 from bringing food or water bottles to class, responding to complaints from parents.
Polk Schools Superintendent Fred Heid sent a letter to parents Aug. 30 explaining the change in the district’s policy. That came just four days after the district informed parents of the new guidelines.
The district adopted the policy for students in early childhood programs, which include voluntary prekindergarten. Those students are ages 3 and 4. Under the policy, those students were not allowed to bring their own lunches or to carry water bottles into classrooms.
Lori Allen, senior director of foundational learning and early childhood, explained the new policy in an Aug. 26 memo to parents and guardians. The increase in students with airborne food allergies was a “critical factor driving this decision,” Allen wrote.
“In our family-style dining setup, children eat in close proximity to one another,” Allen wrote. “In addition, young children are naturally curious and may inadvertently pick up food or drink from their peers’ plates or cups. Unfortunately, even a momentary lapse can trigger severe allergic reactions.”
Allen also wrote that barring students from bringing their lunches “ensures that children encounter familiar routines as they transition between classrooms and schools across the district.”
How did your school do? Complete list of Polk County school grades for 2023-24
The district provides balanced breakfasts and lunches at no cost to families, Allen wrote.
The new policy prompted a wave of questions and complaints from parents. Jenna Wade Smith, identifying herself as a teacher and a mother of two students, wrote to Heid and the seven Polk County School Board members, describing the policy as “absolutely insane.”
Smith also criticized the policy in a Facebook post that drew more than 100 supportive comments, and she encouraged other parents to write to Heid and School Board members. Smith could not be reached for comment.
One parent commenting on Smith’s post wrote that her child had food allergies and said that she would not trust a school cafeteria to ensure that her son did not eat something that could cause internal bleeding because of his gastrointestinal condition.
Another woman wrote that she had pulled her child out of the district’s program because of the food restrictions. Other parents described their children as “picky eaters” and worried that they would not eat meals provided by the schools.
In the letter to parents, Heid wrote that students in VPK programs comprise 14% of all students in the district with known food allergies. He noted that some allergies are life-threatening.
But the district would be “returning to a more flexible option for students and families,” Heid wrote. The district is now allowing students ages 3 and 4 to bring lunches and water bottles from home.
The bottles must be spill proof, clearly labeled with the student’s name and contain only water, Heid wrote.
The letter asked parents to notify the district if their children have specific dietary needs for medical, religious or disability reasons. Those families will receive dietary modification forms.
School bus cameras: Does Polk County's camera contract run afoul of law? District is making revisions
“Given the higher rate of early childhood students with food related allergies, the district will provide parents and guardians with a list of restricted and discouraged items by September 6,” Heid wrote. “Restricted items are those that may not be brought to school/classroom as part of a student's lunch or snack due to the presence of one or more students with a known allergy in the classroom. Discouraged items are those that we are asking parents/guardians to limit or eliminate from their child's lunch or snack based on nutritional guidelines.”
The School Board discussed the policy during Tuesday’s work session on Sept. 24. Sara Beth Wyatt said that before the issue arose, she would have assumed that the district had a written policy allowing students to bring their own lunches to school.
Wyatt, recently reelected to a third term, noted that official district policy gives students the right not to wear masks (adopted during the COVID pandemic) and to bring and wear sunscreen. She suggested that the district add a section allowing students to bring their own lunches to school.
Board members agreed to discuss the issue further at their next work session. Lisa Miller and Kay Fields both asked district staff to provide examples of food policies from other districts of similar size before the session.
“I think we can keep kids safe and still allow parents to have a choice in what their children are eating,” board member Miller said after the meeting.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13 .
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk schools reverse policy barring youngest students from bringing own lunches, water
Local News
