School board approves ban on nuts

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — A policy that would ban peanuts and tree nuts from all public school classrooms was unanimously approved Tuesday by the Board of Education.

But the policy, which has been debated several months by the school board, likely will undergo revisions later this year because of its potential impact on the town's two high schools.

"I'm not really sure this has been completely vetted as to all the possible outcomes at the high school level," said Superintendent of Schools David G. Title.

The policy won't take effect until Sept. 1 at the town's secondary schools. And while the policy technically takes effect immediately at the elementary schools, Jennifer Maxon-Kennelly, a school board member and chairwoman of the board's Policy Committee, said a "roll-out" period would take place in advance of the policy's full implementation at those schools.

The policy also applies to "food-free zones" in elementary schools, such as the library, computer lab, music room, art room, gym, stage and science room, and undesignated "restricted areas" at secondary schools.

Rachel Keleher, a consumer science liaison for the town, said each of Fairfield's three middle schools has a culinary department and both high schools have both culinary departments and fully functioning restaurants. She said avoiding nuts wouldn't be a problem in basic culinary classes, but could be problematic in advanced classes that explore ethnic cuisine as well as at the high school's restaurants.

She said the culinary arts program already accommodates vegetarians, students with dietary restrictions based on religious reasons, and students with food allergies. In the latter case, she said, instruction is differentiated. But she said the culinary arts program and curriculum could be compromised if the peanut and tree nut ban applies to classes where none of the students have a food allergy.