APPLE VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — A parent whose child attends a preschool in Apple Valley says she was shocked after being told Valentine’s Day cards or goodies may not be distributed.

The ban unfolded this week as Dezery Castillo and other parents tried to bring cards and candy to the preschool within Sandia Elementary School.

Apple Valley Unified School District, instead, sent a note to parents telling them Valentine’s Day cards and candy may not be distributed.

The district cited state guidelines as the reason.

“So really what it comes down to is, because we are a licensed state-funded preschool, we have to abide by certain regulations or we’ll lose our license and our funding,” Kristin Hernandez of the Apple Valley School District said.

Per state guidelines, the district says they can’t accept donations.

CBS2 reached out to the State Department of Education to inquire about the policy but a spokesperson there seemed baffled after being told about the measure the district was implementing.

“Taking it to an extreme. It’s Valentine’s Day. I don’t know. I don’t get it. I really don’t,” Castillo said.

Outside of the campus, though, parents passed out cards anyway and the district said students still had a party in class.

“A lot of our teachers did choose to have Valentine’s Day crafts and make cards within their classroom with the resources that we had from within,” Hernandez said.

The school district says this policy only applies to the preschool because funding comes from a different source for K-12.