FREDERICK, Md. – Students in Maryland’s Frederick County Public Schools can no longer share birthday treats with their classmates because officials want to do “a better job of managing the nutrition of our students.”

District spokesman Michael Doerrer told the Frederick News-Post a school policy amended March 18 means birthday cupcakes or any other food sent in by parents must be “for consumption by their individual student” and nobody else.

“No cookies, no cake, no cupcakes for anyone else,” the News-Post’s Jeremy Bauer-Wolf wrote. “It may not be your party, but you can cry if you want to.”

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The district’s new policy is undoubtedly inspired by a government-driven push to force students to eat only school food bureaucrats with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and first lady Michelle Obama deem “healthy.”

In districts across the United States, school officials have moved to ban birthday cupcakes or other traditional treats for classroom celebrations as an extension of government regulations on calories, fat, sugar, sodium, grains and other aspects of foods served in schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program.

Since 2012, schools have faced increased school nutrition regulations championed by first lady Michelle Obama that have convinced more than 1.2 million students to drop out of the federal lunch program and created more than $1 billion in extra food waste each year.

At Frederick County schools, Doerrer said the changes are tied to state and federal policy, as well as school nutrition and allergy concerns, but insisted “there’s still room for celebrations” at schools.

“Schools are still celebratory, happy places and still do events … where there are a wide variety of (government approved) snacks,” he said. “What this regulation is really about is doing a better job of managing the nutrition of our students.”

Oakdale Elementary School sent an email to parents about the change last week, and apparently attempted to buoy students’ spirits with non-food birthday prizes.

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“Please note that if edible treats are brought in, we will be unable to distribute them to students in our building. We will continue announcing student birthdays on the morning broadcast and handing out birthday pencils in the office,” the Aug. 12 email read.

“A nice consolation prize, but you sure can’t eat a pencil,” Doerrer opined.

Many parents who posted comments to the News-Post did not appreciate the school districts meddling in their children’s diets, and were quick to point out the hypocrisy of the new policy.

“’What this regulation is really about is doing a better job of managing the nutrition of our students.’ Isn’t this the parent’s job?” bosco posted.

“It is all a case of misguided viewpoints … taking over,” sue1955 wrote. “A large issue, though, is that distribution of federal funds is directly tied to compliance as the government sees fit.”

“Don’t worry, FCPS is supplying kids with lots of sugar! Just take a look at their breakfast menus. What better way to fight childhood obesity than a nutritious school breakfast of Lucky Charms and chocolate milk? Just no birthday cupcakes, parents!” alycat wrote.

Alycat also posted the school breakfast menu for the week of August 24, along with a link: “Monday – Lucky Charms, Tuesday – Cocoa Puffs, Wednesday – Trix, Thursday – benefit breakfast bar, Friday – Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Served with fruit or milk or CHOCOLATE milk!”

“This is a direct attempt to control the nutritional intake of the children with a little allergy talk thrown in. But, don’t be fooled, the main reason for this policy, which corresponds with state and federal policies, is to control your child’s food intake,” beechlover wrote. “Little by little parents are losing control of their own children through these county, state and federal policies.”