Parents: Bake Sales Are Critical For Struggling Schools

There’s one thing you don’t mess with while on the grounds of school that’s struggling financially: a parent and their homemade brownies and cookies. But it seems as though the city Department of Education doesn’t know the deal. Parents in School District 21 in Brooklyn are heated over the DOE’s new regulation that allows only one bake sale a month and desserts to be sold after 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Cecile Iacono, president of District 21’s Presidents Council, which is comprised of Parent-Teacher Association and Parent Association leaders told the Post, revenue made at the sales are vital to enhancing and providing new school programs since city and state funding has been cut. “In light of the previous and upcoming budget cuts, cutting out snack sales would be detrimental to all of us,” she said.

The changes, which also include the removal of sugary snacks from school vending machines, are meant to combat childhood obesity. Iacono said, "Banning snack sales is not an effective solution to the problem of obesity. There are better ways to improve student health at school."