OUSD or private school - food allergy considerations

Our child with food allergy attended OUSD school in the past and is currently at a private school. Schools are all very accommodating. If the allergy involves peanuts/nuts, don't worry. Schools were/are nut-free! The only time we have to be careful is when parents bring things in for birthdays or if there's a pot luck. Teachers are very on top of allergies and should coordinate with you. You'll also have medication at the school with doctor's note and instructions. If there's an incident, the school will take an action. 

When we were deciding public v. private, we first went public because we felt very strongly that it's important for middle class families to send kids to public school. We read many studies that child's ultimate educational success depends on the parents' educational level and socio-economic status. We felt that our graduate degrees and decent salaries would mean our child would be fine at a public or private school, and we could not stomach the private school tuition. (We do not qualify for financial aid, but don't make enough to not feel the pain of paying tuition.)

A few years into OUSD, it was clear that our child's needs were not being met at OUSD. I have an extremely stressful and demanding job. I do not have the bandwidth to advocate for my child's education at OUSD to the extent that was necessary for us to have a chance at improving the quality of the instruction that my child was getting. We got our child evaluated by OUSD psychologist who told us that there are no programs for advanced children. I was deeply disappointed by OUSD's inability to educate and enrich my child who is bright and eager to learn more and faster than their peers. 

We switched to a small progressive private school where our child is allowed to explore and expand their intellectual curiosity and not be held back by the state dictated minimum curriculum requirements and teacher's classroom management efforts. At our private school, I can trust that our child's education is being handled well. School is no longer a source of stress for me. Peace of mind I have about my child's school and hearing how much my child loves their new school are worth the financial sacrifice we're making. At OUSD, child was beginning to develop deep hatred toward school. I'm glad we course corrected. 

Hi, we are a BUSD family but I just wanted to say that you and your food allergy kid should plan to fiercely self-advocate at any school.  I have two kids who have severe food allergies and made a point of having a lot of communication with my kids' teachers.  There was a wide range of how well teachers understood the seriousness of the issue and what to do.  I provided alternate birthday treats, and generally said that if there was any doubt, the kid should take any food from school home, not eat it at school.  BUSD dining services was great accommodating my kid's egg and milk allergies so he could eat hot lunch, even without me getting an official 504.  If your kid is going to be in after school I'd have a conversation with that program person too.  I do think it's worth minimizing the amount of "special" treatment your kid needs to stay safe, just because it sets your kid apart and they will want to fit in.  We unfortunately had one bullying incident in elementary school.   Your kid is also going to need to learn to ask questions about what's in food, say what their allergies are, pass on eating food that might be offered to them, and speak up if they start feeling like they're having a reaction even if they don't think they ate an allergen.  My kids had multiple ER visits before they started school so they were able to understand the importance of this, but we talked about speaking up and asking questions a LOT.  And they learned to do it, even in preschool!  As a side note, we have done OIT and it's absolutely changed their lives - we still carry epi but they now eat everything!  

We just went through this same decision last year. We have a very well regarded neighborhood school and really wanted to support OUSD, however we have a kid with multiple severe food allergies including uncommon allergens. Obviously lots of kids with allergies do great at OUSD, but we were concerned about the large size of our school (near 500) and communication especially with larger class sizes. I was not comfortable with subs who may not be epi-pen trained or oversight at recess by people who did not know my kid. I also need aftercare and felt I would need to hire an after school nanny which I preferred not to have to deal with. If we had a single common allergy and could do a nut free classroom I would not have worried, but this was not our situation. Ultimately we chose to go to Aurora and have been super happy with our decision. Education has been excellent with small class sizes, making learning fun, and excellent social emotional curriculum. It's a wonderful small community and I love being able to go to the Tuesday assemblies. It's clearly debatable whether it is worth the hefty price tag, but my kid is super happy, and it's a very different experience than what I have heard from other OUSD parents. Communication about allergies and other health concerns have been excellent. Teachers frequently check in about items they are using to make sure they are safe. In the younger grades she always has a teacher and full time teachers assistant, so even if someone is out there is always someone that knows her in the class. Her teacher or TA are there at lunch/recess. Aftercare is a small program with a handful of staff who work for Aurora and know my kid. The peace of mind has been priceless for us. We applied to a couple other private schools that we would also have been happy at academically, but were unwilling to have a peanut free classroom or were hesitant to make any special accommodations. Good luck with your decision, and feel free to contact me if you have questions! 

Our child is allergic to peanuts and several different tree nuts. Food allergy has never been an issue at schools. Both public and private schools handle food allergy pretty well these days, and I've found schools to be inclusive and nut-free. We have always packed our own lunch and never relied on school lunch, however. I have a friend whose child is allergic to eggs, nuts, and dairy, and they, too, haven't had issues. Again, they also pack their own lunch to school. We are always mindful of our child's allergy at group gatherings and always carry allergy medication just in case. We are currently at a small progressive school in Oakland, which is such a warm and inclusive environment. Because it's a small school, all the school staff and teachers know my child and are fully aware of her allergy. At many social events (birthday celebrations, parent coffee/tea, picnics, playdates, etc.), food choices are very inclusive of everyone, offering options for vegan, gluten-free, nut-free as well as conventional options. Voice your allergy, and the community will welcome you and work with you.  Because of my child's allergy, the entire class is peanut and tree nut-free. This is so wonderful, as my child doesn't have to feel excluded and quarantined off at the nut-free table.

In terms of public v. private, this is such a difficult decision. We debated when we were starting K. We initially decided to give OUSD a try, because we did not have enough money to pay for private school but we did not qualify for financial aid. Our financial advisor told us that private school was not a smart financial decision. We also loved the idea of our child going to a neighborhood school where she'll get to know kids nearby and we felt really good about supporting OUSD by enrolling in one. 

After 3 years at OUSD, we could not tolerate OUSD anymore. Child was unhappy because she was not learning and often annoyed at classmates' behavioral issues. Because she was advanced and followed rules, she felt that the teacher didn't pay attention to her. She craved intellectual stimulation and enrichment which we could not find at our high ranked OUSD school. Her OUSD school PE class required kids to lie down on a concrete surface to do sit ups, and child complained that it hurt her back and she did not like getting dirt on her hair.  I was shocked that there was no mat for PE. Teachers told us that our child needed to work on paying attention in class. At first, we thought our child had attention deficit issues. It turns out that child was simply bored and unengaged.

We're so happy at our small progressive school in Oakland where our child is seen and heard and celebrated for who she is and is being challenged to stretch her imagination.  It was nice to have saved some money while attending OUSD, but child says she wishes she could have joined her current school from K.  She used to complain that school is pointless and the only reason school exists is for parents to go to work. Now, at her new school, she can't stop talking about things she has learned and built at school and games that she and her friends have come up with. The difference we see in her is night and day, and we feel that it's worth every penny for her to love learning.