Special Dietary Needs
Selah School District Request for Special Dietary Accommodations Procedure
Approved Special Dietary Meals are prepared in a designated location in the school kitchens to meet the needs of the student's allergen. Selah Nutrition Services cannot guarantee any food that is served from the regular serving line to be free of the top 9 allergens.
USDA Child Nutrition Programs at Selah School District support access to healthy meals to all children, including children with disabilities who have special dietary needs. A disability is defined as an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. This can include allergies and digestive conditions. However, it does not include personal diet preferences and will not be considered for modification.
Selah School District will make reasonable modifications to meals on a case-by-case basis to accommodate disabilities which restrict a child’s diet. Meals will be provided at no extra charge. Requests for specific brands will not be honored.
Requests for meal modifications must be submitted in writing to the office at your child’s school. We prefer the OSPI Request for Special Dietary Accommodations Form be used for requesting diet modifications as it specifically outlines the requirements outlined below. This form may be printed or you can pick up a paper copy from the health office your student attends.
The written request using this form in english or spanish must include:
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Food(s) to be omitted/avoided from the child’s diet
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How the ingestion of the food impacts the child
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Food(s) to be substituted
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Written request must be signed by a State-recognized medical authority, a licensed health care professional authorized to write medical prescriptions in Washington
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Submit completed request for meal modifications to building Nurse or Nutrition Services Department: lauraozanich@selahschools.org or janellewehrman@selahschools.org
The written request will be:
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Received by the building or nutrition office
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Sent to the Nutrition Services Director, Nurse, and 504 Coordinator if applicable
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Reviewed by building Nurse, Nutrition Services Director, and possibly 504 Coordinator
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Food allergies that cause an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, including allergies and digestive conditions will receive modifications.
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The family will be contacted by phone, mail, or parent meeting to discuss best modification practices
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Upon approval of modifications a message will be placed in Skyward by the building nurse. Nutrition Services school staff will also receive written information regarding the student’s allergens and modifications
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Food preferences will not receive modifications, families will be contacted by phone or mailed letter
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If a Request for Dietary Accommodations Form is incomplete or is not received within 60 days, the school will not accommodate the special dietary need until a completed form is approved.
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Lactose free and soy milk is available for students who need a milk alternative and does not require a Request for Special Dietary Accommodations Form.
The process for resolving disputes about meal modifications impartially:
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In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
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mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or -
fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or -
email:
Program.Intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.