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Student's Peanut Allergy Leads To Ban Of Lunchtime Favorite

St. Johns Classroom Becomes Peanut-Free Zone

POSTED: Monday, September 24, 2007

Some young St. Johns County students are no longer allowed to bring a popular lunchtime food to school. Peanut butter has been banned.

A kindergarten student at Ocean Palms Elementary in Ponte Vedra has a peanut allergy that has forced the student's classroom to become a peanut-free zone.

Not all parents are happy with the changes in other students' diets and the inconvenience caused by the peanut ban.

Tracey Torres's son is 5 years old. She said one of his favorite lunchtime sandwiches is peanut butter and jelly, which is also one of Torres's favorites because it's quick, easy and nutritious.

"That's just a typical thing that a kid brings to school and it's something my son likes. It's quick and easy for me in the morning. To not be able to bring that and have to do something else is a burden on me in the morning," Torres said.

She said the peanut-free classroom has been a burden on her in the morning since his kindergarten class at Ocean Palms went peanut free because another student is allergic to peanuts.

When the peanut allergy issue first came up, school officials tried to separate kids with peanuts from kids without by sitting them at a different table in school, but the close scrutiny was too much work.

"Too much work … and the students weren't always able to eat lunch," said Ocean Palms Elementary Michael Parrish.

Under the new peanut ban, students area able to eat lunch but just not peanuts.

Torres said she thinks it's unfair for kids to suffer because of one student's allergy.

"The burden should be placed back on the parent of that child, and their only responsibility should be to create an awareness with the other parents and children," Torres said.

However, Parrish said awareness isn't enough when dealing with a life-threatening allergy.

The principal said the school is working on a more permanent solution. He said they would probably end up with a peanut-free table in the cafeteria and another table that allows peanuts.
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