More Hawaiʻi residents are going hungry, new statewide report shows
Currently, children of families that receive SNAP automatically qualify for free school meals. But the federal government’s changes to SNAP eligibility requirements could prevent more than 900 Hawaiʻi students from automatically getting access to the breakfasts and lunches. At the same time, the state has increased eligibility for students, creating a complex situation that may leave families confused.
Families can still apply for free and reduced-price school meals through an online form.
Schools in low-income areas—which are partially determined by rates of families receiving SNAP benefits—can automatically provide all students with free school meals under one federal program. But roughly 46,000 Hawaii students are attending schools that may stop participating in that program, according to a recent analysis from the Urban Institute.
SNAP beneficiaries with children over 14 years old will be required to prove they work at least 20 hours a week under new federal requirements, among other things. Given the high cost of living, Daniela Spoto of Hawaiʻi Appleseed says that will not necessarily create a large downturn in recipients in Hawaiʻi.
But new form requirements for such things as proof of employment may leave some residents reticent to follow through, particularly families feeling the chilling effects of Trump’s immigration sweeps.
Schools had already faced a surge in demand for free and reduced-price meals, receiving roughly 2,200 applications this fall, compared to 767 last fall, education superintendent Keith Hayashi recently told the Board of Education.
State lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year expanding the eligibility requirements for free school meals to at least 11,000 additional students, according to education department estimates, and prohibiting schools from denying kids food.
