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Students, Parents Upset By Ban On PTA Ice Cream Sales In Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A tradition in a New Jersey school district has suddenly melted away.

The Parsippany-Troy Hills superintendent is banning the PTA from selling ice cream.

The money raised was used for educational programs, but school officials contend their hands are tied.

Parents are now sour over the sweet treat ban.

"I just thought it was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard -- absolutely crazy," parent Ellen O'Connor told CBS 2's Weijia Jiang.

"They looked forward to it. They're not supposed to tell us what to feed our kids," parent Fatima Iqbal said.

The superintendent ended a long tradition across the school district after ordering the PTA to stop selling ice cream. Once a week during lunch, students could buy a cone for a dollar.

The PTA used the money to pay for arts programs, field trips, and classroom equipment -- things parents say is really important. At the Board of Education, however, the superintendent said his hands are tied.

In a statement he said, "While we fully understand that our students enjoyed the PTA ice cream fundraisers in the past...we cannot approve activities that are in violation of state regulations."

Federal and New Jersey laws prohibit any food sales during hours when the school nutritional program is in session.

"I'm going to miss it a lot," said 5th grader Angie Decembre.

It's not the first time Parsippany students have been unhappy because of food rules.

Two weeks ago, high schoolers led a strike against cafeteria lunches and said new federal guidelines to combat obesity left them hungry.

While some kids are over it, many said they will miss the ice cream fix they relied on to make their day.

The PTA is now looking for other opportunities to sell ice cream after school.

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