The Hawaiʻi County Council could urge the state Legislature to implement a universal free school meals program for public school students 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.
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% 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.
“Nobody wants keiki to be hungry. It hurts their ability to learn to grow. It's stunting them for their entire life,” Hix said.
Last month the Maui County Council passed its own resolution asking the state to establish a universal free school meals program.
Bills to provide free school meals have been introduced at the state Legislature before, but have failed. The DOE itself has expressed concern about the cost of the program, which it has said could be significantly more expensive than $25 million.
Last year the DOE said the program would cost more than $30 million, but up to around $150 million if more students eat the free meals.
A universal free school meals bill is likely to be considered by state lawmakers this year.
