By Bobbie L. Carpenter
bobbie@newstribune.info
Tribune Staff Writer

KEYSER — Beginning next school year, parents who bring in treats and goodies for classroom parties in Mineral County Schools will only be permitted to serve their own children, as a new policy will take affect starting July 1 — a move set forth to protect students from food allergies and sickness.
According to Meredythe Barrick, School Nutrition Program director for the county, there is not a large problem with students with food allergies and there has not been an incident where a student has had an allergic reaction this past year, she said.
“Most of the time we see the peanut allergy,” said Barrick. “Occasionally we will have peanut butter at lunch, but we don’t use a whole lot of peanut butter. It is mostly served as a side and some schools don’t even do that.”
Lactose intolerance among students is quite common and Barrick said there is one student in the school system who is allergic to gluten and must stay away from foods that contain gluten such as bread.
To prevent allergic reactions, parents should always fill out the special dietary needs form at the beginning of each school year and have their son or daughter turn it in to his or her teacher.
Copies of the food allergy form are filed with Barrick, each school office and cafeteria to ensure all cafeteria workers are aware of what foods each student is allergic too.

(See FOOD, page 2)
Barrick is concerned that some students in the school system who have allergies have not turned in these forms.
“I’m not sure if we have all students on file,” said Barrack. “If the student is young they may not know what they are allergic to.”
If the allergy is severe, Barrick said a group can be formed comprised of herself, the teacher, a cook and the principal to address the allergy and come up with a plan to prevent a reaction.
Superintendent of Mineral County Schools Skip Hackworth said the school system also sends home breakfast and lunch menus each month to assist parents in deciding what their children will eat or if they will pack lunch.
“Each month they know what we will serve every single day,” said Hackworth. “Meredythe has made provisions for alternative foods for children who do have food allergies. She is a registered dietician and very familiar with the needs of children dealing with food allergies.”
Although alternative meals for children possessing food allergies will be provided, Barrick said that the school system is not responsible for food brought into the school.
Beginning this school year, any food brought into the school can only be consumed by the child or parent who delivered it. This is a state-mandated policy, said Barrick, to protect the children from allergies and sickness.
“Starting this year anything brought in from home or an outside source can only be eaten by the child of the parent who brought it,” said Barrick. “This is to protect the students. We want to to look at everything sent into the schools.”
More information on this policy will be available closer to the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, said Barrick.