A pandemic program that fed schoolchildren last summer is now in jeopardy

A new report released this week found that Hawaiʻi is missing out on millions of dollars in funding from federal nutrition programs. The report, which was put together by Hawaiʻi Appleseed, Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network, Hawaiʻi Afterschool Alliance and Ulupono Initiative, found that the State of Hawaiʻi is spending between $20 million and $30 million per year to prop up school nutrition programs, in effect draining resources that could’ve supported other school programs.

The report also found that the federal government isn’t reimbursing Hawaiʻi enough to cover the cost of students’ meals. Instead, the feds are relying on a formula created in 1979 to decide what to pay. And that isn’t reflective of how high food costs have soared in Hawaiʻi, compared to the continental U.S.—here, for example, a family of four can expect to spend around $1,270 per month on groceries, while the national average is about $670, the report said.

“The state is falling behind, which means lost federal funding and lack of access to healthy, balanced meals for many Hawaiʻi children,” the report said.

Ideally, the federal government should be reimbursing Hawaiʻi 62 percent more per meal than communities on the mainland, the report found. The USDA is in the middle of examining its reimbursement rates for school meals in Hawaiʻi, but its findings aren’t expected to be released for a few more years. In the meantime, the report advocated for looking into temporary increases and extending rule waivers that allow more flexibility for nutrition programs, such as those that helped create Kaukau 4 Keiki.

“Nobody knew what an impact that could have—Kaukau was a huge success,” said Daniela Spoto, who runs Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s anti-hunger programs. “It was such a win for families, especially in rural communities who even during normal times wouldn’t be driving their kid to a summer program every day.”