Seminole County bans students from selling candy for fundraisers in school

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Selling candy and other foods to fundraise during school hours on Seminole County school campuses is no longer allowed.

A recent complaint over the nutritional policy prompted principals to take a closer look at what was being sold on campus.

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The district said this was brought to their attention after the parents of a middle school student complained that their child was able to buy candy that was being sold as a fundraiser by the PTSA at a school store.

That decision is having a trickle-down effect.

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For nearly a decade, Venus Pizza has been a lunch staple for students at Lake Brantley High School. Owner Mike DeQuattro is a Lake Brantley grad and his four kids went there, but Friday afternoon they learned that they can no longer deliver to the school.

“And it’s just caught us by surprise, and it’s affected and impacted our business as a whole,” he said. “Because the entire operation here was designed to support that high school and the other schools in the neighborhood and the community itself.”

Students said they were also caught off guard by the policy change.

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“I mean, it’s not hurting anybody,” student Gavin Hall said. “It’s literally right there. And they just come in every single day, give us food, and you know, it’s good. So I don’t know why they would do that.”

In an email to parents,  Lake Brantley’s principal said the change is due to a complaint by a family challenging the enforcement of the nutritional policy on campus.

The district said principals were given a refresher course on smart snack guidelines to follow federal standards regarding foods sold on campus.

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Board Member Amy Pennock said the decision is going to impact fundraising for financially strapped students to be able to attend camps, band functions, seminars, field trips and more.

And for some business owners like DeQuattro, it’s hurting their bottom line.

“We lose a couple hundred dollars a day off of the kids,” he said.

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The district said they have a website with information on the guidelines as well as other fundraising ideas and foods that meet the requirements for those PTSAs to sell for their fundraising events.

The district also said these rules do not impact concessions at games and events outside of school hours.

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