I went to bed thinking last night that this really shouldn't be worked as a PTO issue (just too wiped out to write about it). As mentioned above it is very devisive. If you have a parent that brings it to the PTO I would suggest you advise them to get their thoughts together and perhaps request a group meeting with the prinicpal. After that I'd move on. Policy is not what the "P" is there for...d

After reading these other posts i have to agree its not a pto matter at all, its a school district policy issue, and ptos have no say in setting school policy, least of all, an independent pto!

If you find fault with any of the district wellness guidleines,then your point persons are the BOE and not the principal, since its not her job to change policy, its her job to enforce existing policiies and they are drawn up by the BOE.

As a regular parent, not pto rep, you can go to the BOE meetings and argue for different terms of the policy if you find the peanut one distasteful (pun intendend).

Of course, this isn't really a PTO issue, but unfortunately sometimes "hot button items" are brought up at PTO meetings. If it's something that ALOT of people are mad about, perhaps the principal might address it at a PTO meeting, but if it's only a few people who are trying to "stir the pot" I would try to re-focus the meeting and say something like:

"Since this is not really a PTO matter, I would like to ask that those of you who have concerns please touch base with Principal X and perhaps set up a meeting in the next week or so to address your concerns. Now we will move ahead with our PTO concerns. Next item on the agenda?"

By the way, I am a parent of a peanut-allergy child and have never really had any problems. When he was young enough to eat parent-provided snacks, the teacher just asked for nut-free snacks and that was no problem. He is deathly allergic if he ingests peanuts/nuts but he is OK to be near the peanut food as long as he doesn't touch it. He always asks if some food has peanuts/nuts in it (he's 8).

I'm glad our little school doesn't segregate him or make a big deal of his allergy. Luckily, it's our sixth year at the school with zero problems.
SHC

I don't see this as a PTO issue either...the school may set whatever policies it deems necessary to protect the health and welfare of the students.

Sounds like a very divisive issue that would best be left with administration....

My daughter's school had pretty strict snack rules last year. Snacks could be only fresh fruit or vegetables. (not even canned fruit cups or applsauce because they had found them to be too messy)

Birthday treats (or any food for that matter) could be brought in, but parents would have to bring them to the office to have the ingredient list checked.

We have a bunch of peanut allergy kids at our school. We have a peanut-free lunch table where the kids with allergies sit so they don't have to worry that the child next to them has a peanut butter sandwich.

However, our food service (all food comes from the school district) still serves nuts on the salad bar and is not planning to change. So the parents of these kids have to educate their children and their classmates about their allergies.

They usually send home info at the beginning of each year telling the class that so and so has severe allergies and asking them not to send any treats with nuts. The teacher has to be very careful, but it works out. Most parents are very cooperative. But mostly it's the kids with allergies that are trained not to accept any food that doesn't come in a wrapper and to have an adult read every wrapper before they can eat the treat.

I think your principal went a little overboard, but the parents of the kids will allergies may have been really strong and/or may have threatened to sue. Did this just come from the principal or did it come from the school board?