Peanut butter will return to the school lunch menus later this month for the first time since 2004.

Peanut butter can be reintroduced starting Feb. 22, according to a new allergy management policy adopted by the School Board of Lee County at Tuesday night.

“Peanut butter is a nutrient-rich protein, which is both available and affordable,” Food and Nutrition Services Director Kandy Messenger said in a prepared statement. “We have worked very hard to do this in a systematic way that is safe for all of our students. Seventy-seven percent of Florida school districts serve peanut butter in their cafeterias every day, so we know it can be done.”

At a January meeting, Messenger told the board that with food shortages, a change in their grocer from US Foods to Sysco, as well as working to mirror Collier County’s menu, they decided to reintroduce peanut butter to menus at schools here in Lee County.

The approved policy, 4.223, will ensure that the 1,325 peanut allergic students in the district will remain safe.

Some of the processes put in place includes signage in food serving areas, stickers on the packaging to identify food containing peanuts and students checking out with their ID number to identify those with allergies on file.

Both food and nutrition staff, and school custodians have gone through training for new policy and protocols for the cafeteria, including proper cleaning methods, so food allergens are not spread.

To catch those students with peanut allergies, parents are encouraged to fill out the student food allergy information form on their FOCUS Parent Portal. A step-by-step emergency action plan, if an allergic reaction occurs, will be developed once school nurses are alerted a form has been filled out. General health guidelines will be followed if a plan is not on file.

To help parents understand those safety protocols, as well to offer a chance to ask questions, the district has scheduled a Facebook live at noon. on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Questions can be submitted in advance at FacebookLive@leeschools.net. To view it live, or watch the recorded version can be viewed at www.Facebook.com/schooldistrictofleecounty.