I too had to write a note for one of my patients that was intolerant of cows milk.   I went round and round with the school and eventually ended up calling some do-da at the state level who is the one that inspects the school lunch programs.  It appears that the school requires the note because the inspectors say that every child has to have so much protein available to them and the milk is counted in their daily allotment.  If the school let the children not drink the milk then the school gets dinged by the inspector by not providing a lunch that meets the government standards.

I asked the school cook, (who never did understand what all the fuss was about she just wanted to have the high and mighty piece of paper) who she required a note from if the parent wanted the child to be vegetarian, or if the child was Jewish and needed kosher meals or was Moslem and couldn't eat pork.  I said do you require a note from the rabbi or religious leader?  She couldn't answer the question.(Of course we have no people of Jewish or Moslem faith in our corner of the world.)  Isn't a note from the parent good enough? I think that there is an over reliance by schools and others on requiring notes from doctors.  I just think it is ridiculous at times. 

Jon Ahrendsen 
Becky Ahrendsen
Clarion, Iowa