PEORIA, Ariz. – Parents have had it with the “healthy” snack rules.

Members of the Peoria, Arizona Parent Teacher Student Organization have approached their state legislator – District 21 Sen. Debbie Lesko – to get the state to provide exemptions and allow parent and student groups to sell foods the Feds deem “unhealthy” during fundraisers.

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“These groups have struggled to offset the money raised in snack sales with other items,” Oakwood Elementary School PTSO vice president Darcie Brady tells the Peoria Independent.

“The problem with the ‘approved’ snacks is kids don’t want them, and I’m not convinced they are any healthier than the traditional snack. My kids’ pediatrician and dentist both say juice is high in sugar, can cause obesity and tooth decay, yet this is an approved alternative.”

Last year, the parents’ group sold sno-cones, soda water, doughnuts and candies.

This year, the Peoria Unified School District’s list of healthy choices for fundraisers include “grapes or carrots in a bag, baked chips, ice cream cups and corn nuts snacks.”

“Prior to this year, the PTSO sold sno-cones after school on Fridays and cupcakes after school on Thursdays and made $7,000, which they then donated back to the school for their accelerated reader program,” Sen. Lesko says.

“The PTSO fundraiser is held after school hours and it should be up to the parent, not the federal government, if they want to give money to their child to purchase sno-cones or cupcakes after school.”

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Other school leaders seem to agree.

“Regarding support for (planned state) legislation, I can tell you that the current guidelines are incredibly restrictive,” Dysart Unified School District spokesman Jim Dean tells the Independent. “Yes, we support the proposed legislation.”

“Not speaking for the PTSO, but as a parent, I believe I am better qualified to determine what is best for my children, rather than a government entity,” Brady says. “Taking away an after school treat isn’t going to solve our nation’s obesity problem.”

Arizona wouldn’t be the first state to offer local schools relief from the “healthy” snack rules championed by First Lady Michelle Obama.

South Carolina recently passed rules allowing schools more leeway on what they sell during fundraisers.

“Fundraisers provide vital income for extracurricular activities that are also essential for our children’s development, such as band, sports, and field trips,” says Molly Spearman, the state’s new superintendent of education, according to Greenville Online.

“We need a reasonable balance that does not prohibit school districts from exercising their discretion to permit infrequent fundraisers that include foods that do not meet the ‘Smart Snacks’ requirements, such as bake sales or special treats sold by student organizations,” according to Spearman.