Hawaiʻi kids could lose access to free meals at school with end of federal funding
Public school students have been eligible for free breakfast and lunch during the pandemic through a program that is set to expire in June.
Community groups offer free lunch to kids
The grab-and-go meals at a handful of sites around Oʻahu supplement the DOE’s own meal service which began this week while schools are closed.
Why Hawaiʻi kids can still be denied school lunches
A 2017 law required schools give students a grace period before withholding meals for those behind in their payments.
DOE leadership starting work on new 10-year strategic plan
With the DOE’s current plan due to sunset in 2020, it’s clear many academic success “targets,” such as reducing student absenteeism and increasing teacher retention, won’t be met.
Hitting the road to stem summer hunger
On the Waiʻanae coast, the state DOE deploys a food truck to distribute free, freshly packaged meals to kids in need.
The crusade to keep Hawaiʻi kids fed this summer
While the Department of Education provides meals on summer school campuses, other efforts are afoot to deliver food to non-school venues.
Study: few Hawaiʻi students have access to after-school meals
A new report by the Food Research & Action Center shows Hawaiʻi near the bottom in terms of serving an after-school supper to low-income students.
Hawaiʻi schools can’t seem to give breakfast away
Getting eligible students to eat free or reduced-price morning meals is more of a struggle in the islands than on the mainland.