Special Diets

Dietary Restriction Information 

Douglas County School District’s Nutrition Services strives to provide all students with the healthy meals they need to excel in the classroom. When a student needs specialized and/or modified meals, we provide these modifications in accordance with USDA regulations 7 CFR Part 15b. In addition to providing modified meals for those with documented medical need, it is our goal to provide detailed nutrition information to all families regarding the meals served in Douglas County School District. 

It is essential that a team approach is taken to meet the dietary needs of all students, which includes parents and guardians, students, Nutrition Services staff, and Health Services staff. Please read below carefully to ensure that your child’s needs are met. 

                                   Meal Modification Requirements

If your child requires a modified diet due to a documented medical condition, please follow the process below. 

1. Complete the Medical Statement for Meal Modification Form available on the Douglas County School District, Nutrition Services website at or by contacting  Tara Gonzales MDA, RDN, SNS, with Nutrition Services at 303.387.0302. Please note the following regarding the Medical Statement for Meal Modification Form: 

a. This form must be signed by a licensed medical authority (MD, DO, APN with 

prescription authority, or a PA). 

b. All areas of form must be completed to begin any meal modification. 

2. Submit the form to Tara Gonzales, MDA, RDN, SNS: tgonzales@dcsdk12.org

3. The Meal Modification request will be reviewed by the Dietitian for the best approach to accommodating the request. 

4. The Dietitian will contact the parent or guardian regarding the request within 7 business days of receiving the request.

5. A written menu plan will be created by the Special Diets Coordinator and a plan will be kept on file with Nutrition Services. 

a. The written menu plan will be communicated to the kitchen manager and the family.

b. The kitchen manager will work with students and parents to determine how to best accommodate the new menu plan with limited interruptions to the students’ mealtime. 

c. If the student has a 504 Plan, or could benefit from a 504 Plan, Nutrition Services will work with the 504 Plan team to best accommodate the requests. 

6. Accommodations for a dietary restriction cannot be made without an approved Medical Statement for Meal Modification form.  


                                                         Additional Considerations


1. The Douglas County School District is considered an allergy-aware environment not an allergy free environment. 

2. Our food service staff is trained in current food safety practices and in avoiding cross contamination; however, the district is not able to guarantee an allergen-free or contaminant-free environment. 

3. Douglas County School District’s Nutrition Services does not currently serve peanut or tree nut -nut-containing items as part of reimbursable meals in the elementary schools; however, products may have been manufactured in a facility also manufacturing peanut or tree nut-containing products. 

4. Please refer to the menu resources noted below and actively monitor the labels of pre-packaged foods when purchasing a la carte items. 

a. A detailed menu with allergen and nutritional information can be found through Nutrislice, our online menu application. https://dcsd.nutrislice.com/

b. Online menus provide the following information for each menu item:

5. The allergen and nutritional information are accurate to the best of our knowledge based on information we have received from the manufacturer. All items and allergens are subject to change without notice and the district makes no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy of the information contained herein. The Nutrition Services Department is not responsible for any adverse medical events incurred because of using this guide. Many factors can affect the ingredients in a product, including cross-contamination from other foods. Please verify the menu items being served by the kitchen manager since the menu and the brand of product we use may change at any time without notice. Please contact Tara Gonzales, MDA, RDN, SNS: tgonzales@dcsdk12.org for further information about food allergens. 

6. All nutritional and allergen information is based on the standardized preparation of the recipe for the menu item. 

7. As noted above, a meal will not be modified unless a Medical Statement for Meal Modification is on file with Nutrition Services.