Hawaiʻi DOE wants another $30M for a facility that hasn’t been built
The Department of Education is pinning its local food buying goals on a central facility, and the budget is getting bigger and bigger.
No one will say why school lunch costs Hawaiʻi DOE $9 a plate
Lawmakers have pushed the education department for more details on the costs of running its school meal program.
Progress report: Hawaiʻi’s working families need more support
Advocates for working families are concerned that bad things are coming with federal cuts and hoped the legislature would do more to increase the state’s safety net.
State passes a bill to expand free school meal access
The bill, SB1300, will go into effect with the upcoming 2025-26 school year and will cover students whose family income is not more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
Expand free school meals, because all keiki deserve to eat
SB 1300 would be an enormous step in the right direction, putting Hawaiʻi on a secure pathway toward ensuring all our keiki can achieve and thrive during the school day and throughout their lifetimes.
End burdensome school impact fees, put funds to good use
Bringing the overall cost of development down is critical to meet demand, and one way to help is by eliminating costly and ineffective school impact fees.
State collects money from home builders for new schools. It’s never spent a dime
Lawmakers and housing advocates say the fee should be eliminated because the state hasn’t used the money. DOE says the rules on spending it are too restrictive.
State officials discuss expansion of free school meals
SB1300 would require the state DOE to appropriate funding for meals for students who come from households classified as “asset limited, income restrained, employed,” (ALICE).
Hawaiʻi families could face big price hike for school meals
Charging elementary and middle school students $4.75 for lunch would be a huge hit to working families, advocates say.
Hawaiʻi County Council could join call for free school meals statewide
A resolution introduced by the council said that Hawaiʻi Island has the highest rate of food insecurity in the state, but the issue is statewide.
Hawaiʻi lawmakers spent big on public schools this year
But education advocates said the Legislature did little to address problems such as school bus driver shortages, fire safety and the need for more preschool teachers.
Legislative deadline looms over universal free school meals bill
A bill to provide universal free school meals in Hawaiʻi is once again in jeopardy at the state Legislature.
Enthusiasm surrounds measure to provide universal free school meals
Thousands of students already take advantage of programs for free or discounted meals, but access often depends on a family’s income. Many students in low-income families need the support but can't get it.
More Hawaiʻi schools qualify for free meal programs but the state may not participate
Recent changes to a federal program could allow for a significant expansion of free school meals in Hawaiʻi, but it's unclear if the state will opt in.
Hawaiʻi sees first school meal reimbursement rate increase in 40 years
A long awaited boost to federal child nutrition program funds announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in February, is now flowing into the state.
Lawmakers are keeping pressure on DOE for school meal plans
Farmers and ranchers see an opportunity for ongoing collaboration.
Bills to transform Hawaiʻi’s school meals die in Senate
A handful of well- supported bills to transform student meals in Hawaiʻi’s public schools appears to be dead for this legislative session.
Tap more child nutrition, school-lunch subsidies for isle keiki
The “Feed Our Keiki” report finds that the federal school meal reimbursement rates for Hawaiʻi currently should be 62% higher than other states, but it has been stuck at only 17% higher since 1979.
Hawaiʻi missed out on $200M in federal funding for school meal programs, report says
The Hawaiʻi Appleseed study found that federal programs meant to reimburse organizations that feed Hawaii’s children have not taken into account more than 40 years of increases in local food costs.
Hawaiʻi’s federal child nutrition funding is outdated and insufficient, report finds
Federal reimbursement rates for child nutrition programs in Hawaiʻi do not currently reflect the high cost of living, a new report found.