Khalil Beckwith has never been formally diagnosed with lactose intolerance. He just knows that drinking milk makes him feel lousy.
"When I drink milk with nothing else ... finishing the carton can be a nauseating endeavor," said Beckwith, a senior at King College Prep High School in Chicago.
Like millions of other American children, when Beckwith takes a meal through the federal school lunch program, milk is the only beverage available. Usually he avoids drinking it, but sometimes he said he feels pressure to take the milk. Then he either throws it away or winds up feeling queasy.
People with lactose intolerance lack the enzymes needed to digest lactose, resulting in bloating, cramping, nausea and diarrhea after milk consumption. The condition is common among African-Americans like Beckwith, as well as Hispanics, Asians and American Indians.
Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program -- including those in the Twin Cities -- must serve milk, and school officials say the only way a student can receive a substitute drink is for a doctor to say he or she has a milk allergy. That is a different condition, which qualifies as a disability.
In Minneapolis public schools, students may be served lactacid milk with a parent's signature, but if a student wants rice or soy milk, the student needs to present a medical doctor's signature. A doctor's note is required because of reimbursement requirements from the state of Minnesota, said Syreeta Wilkins, a Minneapolis schools spokeswoman.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which runs the lunch program, says it is acceptable to give students an alternative (such as lactose-free milk, soy milk or almond milk) if a parent submits a simple request.
"USDA provides schools with the flexibility to offer milk substitutes that meet federal nutrition requirements to accommodate students' nondisabling allergies, culture, religion or ethical beliefs," a spokeswoman said.