How City Council could improve food security for Oʻahu residents
The Honolulu City Council should work on disaster planning, summer feeding programs for children, kūpuna programs, and direct funding for food banks.
More Hawaiʻi residents are going hungry, new statewide report shows
The report was produced at a time when food security was bad in Hawaiʻi. But now, advocates say, it’s even worse.
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.
Economic prosperity rises from the bottom up
The Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice looks at the recent legislative session's hits and misses in this Community Voice column for Aloha State Daily.
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.
Child advocates, parents discuss bill to expand free and reduced meals for Hawaiʻi keiki
A community forum was held Saturday at McKinley High School to discuss a senate bill that would expand access to free and reduced-price meals for public school keiki.
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).
The price of hunger: Navigating the cost burden of free meals for Hawaiʻi students
Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s “Equity on the Menu” shows a cost estimate of $26 million per year. This would be 1.2 percent of the Hawaiʻi DOE’s overall annual budget, set this year at just over $2 billion.
Keiki Caucus introduces 2025 legislative package
Legislators and advocates identified five top priority issues impacting Hawaiʻi’s youth and families, including tax credits for household and dependent care services, funding for community schools, paid family leave, e-cigarette regulations, and universal free school breakfast and lunches.
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.
Legislators look to support student recovery from the pandemic
Some lawmakers and advocates say schools need more help with funding gaps, especially after federal assistance expired this fall.
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.