Special Dietary Accommodations

Your child’s health and safety are our top priorities. We are committed to partnering with
families, empowering you with information, and working together to keep students safe.
Upon request, we will collaborate with you to create a personalized allergy management
plan to minimize your child's risk of allergen exposure at school.

While we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment (including nut or
gluten-free), we are dedicated to student safety and transparency. Upon request, we
can provide manufacturer documentation regarding allergens present within specific
food products or at the specific school building. Full nutrition details and ingredient lists
are available at LINQ Connect. Additionally, our staff undergoes annual allergy
management training, each school utilizes specialized food prep kits to prevent cross-
contamination, and student allergies trigger automatic "pop-up" alerts for kitchen staff to ensure unsafe items are not served.

USDA Regulation 7 CFR Part 15b requires schools to provide equal opportunities for
students with disabilities to participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast
Programs. Requests must include a written statement signed by a state-licensed
healthcare professional. It must detail the child's disability, how it restricts their diet, the
foods to omit, and recommended substitutions. Accommodating a disability must be
provided at no additional charge to the student or family.

If your child requires a special diet consideration:

1. Please complete the diet prescription form (can be obtained from your school nurse)
2. Have form signed by your family’s doctor, a licensed physician, registered dietitian or another recognized medical authority
3. Send the completed form to your student’s school nurse along with the meals and frequency you are looking to be available
4. We will get back to you to discuss options and make a plain as soon as possible

Schools have the option (but are not federally required) to accommodate special diets
for religious, moral, or personal preferences, provided the modified meals still meet
USDA meal pattern requirements. We value your needs and will do our best to assess
the needs of our students and make menus that are as inclusive as possible to allow as
many families as possible to benefit from our services.

If you have any questions about our cafeteria procedures, please contact Kelly
Schenkman, Food Service Director at (518) 769-9053 or kelly.schenkman@neric.org at
the food service office directly.