More public school students will be getting free meals this upcoming school year due to new income eligibility that was signed into law at the end of last year’s legislative session.
Act 139 expanded the threshold to those making up to 300% of the federal poverty level, meaning an average family of four making up to roughly $113,000 annually could now be eligible for free school meals.
The state Department of Education estimated an additional 12,000 keiki could start receiving free meals come the new school year, on top of the roughly 73,000 that were eligible before.
Previously, the cap on income to qualify for free meals was just under $50,000 for a family of four. Genevieve Mumma, the senior food equity policy analyst at Hawai’i Appleseed, said this created a substantial gap where working families were being missed.
“It really is to get those people who are working who are needing that extra assistance because they’re struggling to pay their rent, pay for food, childcare, whatever it is,” Mumma said to HPR. “We’re hopefully trying to cover those people who fell through the cracks before.”
Mumma referred to Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed families — or ALICE families — who often were lost in the middle ground of making just over the income limits, but not enough to live comfortably or, in some cases, afford basic necessities. A 2024 report stated that over 160,000 households across Hawai’i fell into the ALICE gap.
Gwen Whiting, a mom of two keiki at HIDOE public schools, said the expanded income eligibility is a weight off many parents’ backs, both financially and mentally.
“It’s always just a balancing act, and so many of us are just trying to keep up, so having the opportunity to have school meals not also be on our plate is incredible,” Whiting said. “We're trying to figure out how to stay here in Hawaiʻi as things just keep rising in cost and living gets expensive, so expanding school meals gives us a little bit of hope.”
Mumma also noted the importance of ensuring all kids are fed, as hunger can take a toll emotionally, physically and academically.
“A lot of this can be understood on a personal level — when I go to work and I don't have a meal, it completely impacts the amount of work and the quality of work that I put out,” she said. “If we want to improve our education system, one of the huge ways we can do that is just by providing reliable, healthy food.”
The new eligibility applies to HIDOE public schools, not charter schools. There are also dozens of schools across the state that are enrolled in the Community Eligibility Provision program, which provides free meals to all students, regardless of family income, and these schools would be exempt from the changing eligibility requirements throughout the DOE.
Applications for free breakfast and lunch are now open ahead of the new school year that starts Aug. 3.
