Hawaiʻi County Council could join call for free school meals statewide

Across the islands, approximately tens of thousands of local households make too much money to qualify for free or reduced-cost school meals, but are still struggling financially, according to the resolution. Those households are considered asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed—also known as ALICE households.

“One in three families in Hawaiʻi are experiencing hunger or food insecurity, and that number should be zero. Unfortunately, when it comes to students, there are way too many who aren’t eligible for the current free school meals programs, but also these households aren’t making enough to make ends meet either. And so this program would help bridge that gap,” said Nate Hix, the director of policy and advocacy for the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute.

The resolution supports a statewide program that would provide free meals to all students regardless of socioeconomic background. According to the resolution and some local organizations, the program would cost $25 million.

A 2024 Hawaiʻi Appleseed report supporting universal free school meals said that 46 percent of the 165,000 students enrolled in state Department of Education schools qualify for free or reduced-cost meals at school, but that the application process, meal debt and social stigma stop many students from actually receiving those meals.

Advocates say some students rely on school meals as their only source of nutritious food for the day, and those meals positively impact student attendance, well-being and academic performance.