And what if your child doesn't have a 504?
DS2 tests positive for peanuts but to the best of our knowledge has never had a reaction. The numbers have been consistently high enough and has had a prior reaction history to legumes (which has since resolved), that our rather aggressive allergist refuses to challenge.
Legal or not, he has been turned down for a 504. And I haven't pushed for it because I am in the process of fighting for DS1's who does have a strong reactive history. And when it comes down to it, they work harder to keep a child who may or may not be allergic to peanuts safer than a child who is definitively allergic to wheat, rye, barley and egg. Media hype plays well for one child but not another.
And it's one thing when you have only 15-30 kids on a daily basis (and probably easier since DS1 is the only one allergic to foods in his grade but it always seems to be a freaking surprise) but another when you are dealing with 6 classes of 30 students. Yes, 504 should take care of it - but does it? How many kids out there have parents that don't fight the fight, don't realize that 504's are available, mark their child has food allergies but no epis, do I go on?