Free school meals are popular. Hawaiʻi isn’t sold.

The estimates of running a universal meal program have also varied wildly, raising more questions among lawmakers about the true price of the initiative. While advocacy groups say the program could cost nearly $33 million, the education department has cited estimates ranging from $50 million to $111 million, or even more.

The public’s uncertainty around how the education department calculates its cost estimates only exacerbates some lawmakers’ concerns as the state grapples with federal cuts and budget uncertainty, said Genevieve Mumma, food equity policy analyst at Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. 

“We have the DOE saying that they agree with our intent,” she said, “but then, since the legislature doesn’t have that trust in the DOE, it makes it even harder for them to have trust in this policy.” 

Advocacy groups like Appleseed and Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute say the state would need to set aside roughly $33 million for a universal free meal program to make up the revenue the education department currently earns from students who purchase breakfast and lunch. The estimate also accounts for a potential increase in the number of students participating in the meal program if breakfast and lunch were free. Last year, the department brought in roughly $17 million in revenue from the sale of student meals, according to the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute.

The required $33 million would be on top of the nearly $80 million the education department receives in state funding for its food program, said Nate Hix, director of policy and advocacy at Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute. 

But the Department of Education’s estimates are much higher, with school leaders projecting the program would cost $50 million with current student participation rates in the meal program. If more students began eating breakfast and lunch at school, the education department said, a universal meal program could cost more than $111 million. 

Advocates say it’s unclear how the education department made these estimates, although the numbers likely include costs the state is already incurring for its meal program. The department did not respond to requests for comment on how it made its calculations.