A Lawrence school district official got a taste Thursday of what Journal-World readers think of a new policy designed to limit student access to junk food.

And it wasn’t very sweet.

One even called the wellness policy “ridiculous” and “NAZI-esque.”

Deputy Supt. Bruce Passman took more than a dozen questions about the policy Thursday during an online chat on the J-W’s Web site.

The policy, which was tentatively approved Monday by Lawrence’s school board, will be up for final approval at the next board meeting.

Several readers wanted to know how the policy would be enforced and what it would mean for school parties, birthdays and carnivals.

“Will ‘cake walks’ be banned or will we have to use bowls of fruit?” asked a reader calling himself “Bob, Lawrence.”

“First of all, there is no ban at this time,” Passman wrote. “We are asking the Board to approve a broad policy emphasizing the importance of wellness.”

Passman said district officials now are working on a plan to implement that policy, which would go into effect in September.

“Oh, and by the way, we really aren’t planning on having ‘food police’. We will be trying to implement in a reasonable manner,” Passman wrote.

Deputy Supt. Bruce Passman discusses children's nutrition with readers online.

One reader asked “Will cupcakes or cookies sent from home in school lunches be considered contraband by the district?”

“No, however, Twinkies will be considered as contraband,” Passman wrote, joking. “Seriously, the whole issue of wellness, including nutrition, is not solely a school issue. It is a community issue that we need to work on together. The percent of students who are obese has increased dramatically. We want to be sure that we provide high expectations for wellness and model those wellness practices in our schools.”

In reference to birthday treats, “Betsy” asked how school officials could “even consider the possibility of not allowing this happy time for our children?”

Passman said he understood that perspective, writing “I remember looking forward to those special days and treats when I was in school.”

“We want to be sure that we are good models and have high expectations for healthy eating,” he wrote. “We know that next to parents, teachers have the most influence on children. As educators, we want to model good practices and influence students in a positive way. Also, I think we could be looking for other means of recognizing those ‘happy times.'”

Passman said issues that parents raise will be considered as the policy is put in place.

“I see the implementation of these changes occurring over the next three years, so some changes will be seen next year; others later in the process,” he wrote.