Special Dietary Needs

Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in the School Nutrition Programs

Schools participating in a federal Child Nutrition Program (School Lunch, School Breakfast or After School Snack Program) are required to make accommodations for children who are unable to eat the school meals because of a disability that restricts their diet. In order to make modifications or substitutions to the school meal, schools must have a written Medical Statement on file that is signed by a State recognized medical authority (licensed physician, physician assistant, certified registered nurse practitioner, or dentist). The statement must identify:

• The child’s disability
• An explanation of why the disability restricts the child’s diet
• The major life activity affected by the disability
• The food(s) to be omitted from the child’s diet
• The food or choice of foods that must be provided as the substitute

Deer Lakes Medical Plan of Care Form 2026-2027 

Accommodating Students with Non-Disabling Special Dietary Needs
 
Schools may, at their discretion, make substitutions for students who have a special dietary need that does not meet the definition of disability. Examples include food intolerances or allergies that do not cause life-threatening reactions. The decision to accommodate a student’s special dietary need can be determined on a case-by-case basis; however, the school should remain consistent with accommodating special dietary needs. In order to make modifications or substitutions to the school meal, schools must have a written Medical Statement signed by a State recognized medical authority (licensed physician, physician assistant, certified registered nurse practitioner, or dentist) identifying the following:

• An identification of the medical or other special dietary condition that restricts the child’s diet
• The food or foods to be omitted from the child’s diet
• The food or choice of foods to be substituted

 
Fluid Milk Substitutions for Students with Non-Disabling Special Dietary Needs
 
For students with non-disabling special dietary needs that restrict their intake of fluid milk, the following applies:

• Parents/guardians or a recognized medical authority (physician, physician assistant, certified registered nurse practitioner, or dentist) may request a fluid milk substitute for a student with a non-disabling medical dietary need, such as milk intolerance, or due to cultural, religious or ethnic beliefs. The request must be made in writing.
• The written request from a parent/guardian or medical authority must identify the student’s medical or special dietary need that prevents them from consuming cow’s milk. Specifically referring to milk substitutions, a “special dietary need” can refer to cultural, ethnic, or religious needs, as well as medical needs.
• Nondairy beverages offered as a fluid milk substitute must meet the established nutrient standards, as indicated in Question 20 in USDA memo SP07-2010, available on PEARS Download Forms, under Feeding Students with Disabilities and Special Dietary Needs section.
• Juice and water cannot be substituted for fluid milk as part of the reimbursable meal. However, any student may select a meal without milk under Offer vs. Serve. Drinkable water must be available to all students in addition to the meal. Juice can be selected as a meal component if it is offered.

 
Parent Responsibility

• Notify the school of any food allergy, disability or special dietary need.
• Provide a Medical Statement completed by a State recognized medical authority (disabling or non-disabling special dietary need), or the parent (non-disabling special dietary need for milk substitution only).
• Participate in any meetings or discussions regarding the student’s meal plan. Maintain a healthy line of communication with the school.
• Notify the school of any changes relating to the special dietary need (a new Medical Statement is required if the diet changes).

 
School Food Service Responsibility

• Provide food substitutions for students according to the Medical Statement. The school food service staff may not revise or change a diet prescription or medical order.
• Provide training to cafeteria personnel on how to properly accommodate students with special dietary needs. Maintain documentation of this training.
• Communicate with parents, staff, and medical authorities regarding diet modifications.
• Maintain a Medical Statement on each student with a special dietary need. Diet orders are not required to be renewed on a yearly basis; however, PDE recommends that you confirm, on a yearly basis, the diet order has not changed. If there are any changes to the diet, a new Medical Statement is required.
• If the school is opting to make a milk substitute available for non-disabling dietary needs, research products to ensure they meet the USDA nutrient standards for a milk substitute. Notify the Division of Food and Nutrition if you are making milk substitutes available for non-disabling special needs.

 
School Nurse Responsibility

• Collaborate with food service director, school staff, parents, and medical authority to appropriately share pertinent information, obtain a copy of Medical Statement, and accommodate students with special dietary needs.
• Develop medical plan of care as appropriate (Individualized Healthcare Plan).

 
Other Federal Regulations
 
Based upon Federal laws that prohibit discrimination and ensure equal access to education, some students may have instructions for accommodating their special need written into a 504 Plan or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Typically, a team consisting of the school professionals and the parents collaborate to develop these plans. If the 504 Plan or IEP involves special dietary needs, the food service director should be involved.
 
Additional Resources:
 

• USDA's Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in the School Nutrition Programs: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/guidance/special_dietary_needs.pdf. 
• USDA Memo SP07-2010: Q & As: Milk Substitution for Children with Medical or Special Dietary Needs on PEARS Download Forms: PDE032b
• National Food Service Management Institute’s Meeting Children’s Special Food and Nutrition Needs in Child Nutrition Programs: http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=89
• Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network: http://www.foodallergy.org/ 
• Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network handouts on how to read food labels: http://www.foodallergy.org/document.doc?id=133
• CDC’s Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care and Education Programs: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/pdf/13_243135_A_Food_Allergy_Web_508.pdf

 
Additional Contact Information:
 

• Contact the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Food and Nutrition, with questions regarding accommodating students with special dietary needs in the School Meals Programs at 1-800-331-0129.
• For questions about developing a 504 plan for a student with special needs, please contact the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, at (717) 783-6913.
• For questions regarding the roles and responsibilities of the school nurse in providing services for a student with special needs outside of the School Meals Programs, please contact the local PA School Health Consultant in your area. Contact information is available at http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/lib/health/SHConsultantList.pdf or by calling 877-PAHEALTH.

Deer Lake School District families are encouraged to utilize SchoolCafe - a FREE tool to manage their children's meal accounts. SchoolCafe is available online and as an app from the AppStore and Google Play.

• Access your child's purchase history
• Monitor account balances
• Receive low balance alerts
• Make online payments
• Set up automatic payments any time your student's account falls below your pre-determined limit

Please note that there is a small convenience fee for online payments. To avoid the convenience fee, families can make meal payments via check (Deer Lakes Food Service) or cash at any time. Payments can be dropped off in the respective school office. Be sure to place the payment in an envelope clearly marked “Deer Lakes Food Service ” with the child’s name, amount, and parent contact information in the event of any questions. If the payment is for more than one student, indicate how the money should be split (for example, Johnny = $10.00 and Sally=$15.00). Payment can be made in any amount to best suit a family’s budget.

To create your SchoolCafe account, you will need your child's Student ID #. For assistance with Student IDs, please contact your child's school office.

Meal Prices:

Deer Lakes Food Service will be installing 10 vending machines throughout the district. Locations are listed below. The vending machines will follow the Smart Snack guidance during the normal school day. Vending machines that do not comply with the Smart Snack guidance will only operate 30 minutes after the school day has ended. There are three (3) different types of machines- full beverage, full snack, and a combination of both. These machines will be able to accept both cash and credit cards. Student lunch accounts will not be connected to the machines.

The Deer Lakes School District aims to provide nutritious and appetizing meals to students each day. The District recognizes that good nutrition is vital to students’ health, their mental and physical growth, and their readiness to participate and learn at school. The food service program operates in conjunction with federal and state school nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

It is the district’s goal that the food service program be operated in a manner that is financially self-sufficient on an operational basis, with allowances for capital expenditures (e.g., facilities and capital equipment.) Unpaid meal charges place a large financial burden on the food service program and account for more than $25,000.00 owed to the Deer Lakes’ Food Services Department

As a result, the Deer Lakes School District will begin utilizing Creditech, a debt collection agency, for negative student meal accounts. Accounts that are more than $50 in debt will be turned over to Creditech for collection starting June 7th, 2024. Any debts collected through Creditech will be charged an additional 18% service fee; however, if the debt is paid off directly to the school district by June 8th, 2023, there will be no additional service charge. Attempted payments to the school district after June 8th cannot be accepted and our online payment system will be shut down.

Reimbursable meals will never be denied based on account status, eligibility, or any other factor. The District will continue to follow federal law and district policies in regard to student meal procedures. 

Why is Deer Lakes School District taking this step?

This money directly impacts our educational programs when general funds must cover delinquent student balances.

What about students and families who may qualify for free meals?

In response to Covid-19, Congress enacted waivers that allowed all student meals to be free. These waivers have expired on June 30th, 2022. This means that the 2022-2023 school year will return to normal operating standards and meals will no longer be free unless the free/reduced application is completed and accepted. Applications for the free/reduced meals for the 2022-2023 school year will be accepted starting July 1st, 2022 and we strongly encourage all who may be eligible to apply. Applications will be provided once available and shall be found on the district’s website under the Food Service Section.

How can I make a payment on my child’s meal account?

Payments can be submitted online via www.Schoolcafe.com/deerlakes. Cash/checks can be sent to each school’s cafeteria. Please address checks to Deer Lakes Food Service and include your student’s name and PIN number.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or no-cost lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946.

About 7.1 million children participated in the NSLP in its first year. Since then, the program has reached millions of children nationwide: 1970: 22.4 million children; 1980: 26.6 million children; 1990: 21.1 million children; 2000: 27.3 million children; 2010: 31.8 million children; and 2016: 30.4 million children.

• NSLP Fact Sheet

In order for you to better understand daily operations in the DLSD cafeterias, please review the following procedures:

• A computerized debit system is in place in all schools. Every student has been assigned a PIN, which is their student ID number. Students must enter their PIN regardless if they have cash or are using money on account.
• Any amount of money may be sent in for your child's cafeteria account. Please return a form (mailed home a few weeks prior to the start of school) if you wish to restrict your child's access to ala carte items, breakfast, and additional purchases. A notation will be placed on your child's account if you return the form. Students will be allowed to purchase extras unless we receive a note from the parent indicating otherwise.
• Students may pay cash each day for purchases. Maintaining a balance is encouraged, but not required.
• Students are expected to have money in their account in anticipation of purchases unless they are paying with cash. Substitutions will be provided for students with special dietary needs.
• Balances from the previous school year will be available for use on the first day of school. Please remember that any money remaining at the end of the current school year will be forwarded to the following school year; refunds will not be issued unless a student is withdrawing from the district or is graduating.
• Students eligible for free meals do not need to make deposits. However, they are welcome to deposit money for extras. The system is coded to recognize that your child is free or reduced when they enter their PIN. Therefore, a child's status remains completely confidential.
• Please make all checks payable to Deer Lakes Cafeteria Fund. Checks returned from the bank are subject to a $25 service fee.
• Parents may request a detailed activity report at any time for their child's account. The report will outline every transaction on your child's account. 
• On two-hour delay days, breakfast will be served. Cold Breakfast only will be available at the MS/HS from 9:30-9:45 a.m. Delayed breakfast time at CV/EU is 10:45-11 a.m. The cafeterias will mostly follow the regularly scheduled lunch menu.

The cafeteria is now using a computerized debit system. This system allows us to provide better service to both students and parents, as well as account for all meals served at Deer Lakes. Each student has been assigned a personal identification number that is confidential and should not be shared with other students. This protects the anonymity of those students receiving free or reduced meals. As long as the student continues to be enrolled at Deer Lakes, the same number will be utilized.

We encourage all students to place advanced payments on their accounts. This allows the lines to run smoothly, prevents money from being lost, and is convenient. Cash or checks will be accepted for deposits. Checks should have the student's name and meal account number noted and should be made payable to Deer Lakes Cafeteria Fund. Payments can be made for any amount of money. An account balance cannot be shared by different children in the same household.

Start the new school year off on the right foot.

Eating a balanced and nutritious diet, coupled with at least 30 minutes of daily activity, will allow your children to perform their best in the classroom. Below are some of the most important tips to impress your child in order to enhance their ability to learn:

Eat Breakfast every day. Children should eat about 25% of their daily calorie intake at breakfast. Breakfast consumption is especially necessary for kids to refuel their bodies and brains, enabling them to pay attention in class and avoid the mid-morning slump.

Don't skip Meals. Growing bodies need to be refueled about every 4-5 hours. Nutritious snacks such as grapes, baby carrots or yogurt can be eaten in between meals to keep their bodies nourished.

Eat the right kinds of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide our bodies with energy and are the foundation of our diets. However, not all carbohydrates are created equally. A variety of whole, fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains are the best carbohydrate choices.

Disclaimer

The School District of Deer Lakes does not take responsibility for the contents of external sites listed here and does not by their listing endorse the points of view represented at any particular site.

Annual Non-Discrimination Notice

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992.  Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

• School Board Policy No. 209.1: Food Allergy Management
• School Board Policy No. 246: School Wellness
• School Board Policy No. 808: Food Services