Starting this month, 21 different Big Island public schools will offer free breakfast and lunch to children ages 18 and younger during the summer season.
Students will be served at participating campuses regardless of enrollment status as part of the Seamless Summer Option program. SSO is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was established to ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer.
“The summer months are typically when our most vulnerable students don’t have access to school services, like breakfast and lunch meals, that they normally rely on during the school year,” said Department of Education School Food Services Program Administrator Lindsay Rodrigues. “Our school food services staff across the state work hard and take great pride in providing for this important need.”
Meals will be served Monday-Friday with the exception of holidays, including King Kamehameha Day on June 10 and Independence Day on July 4.
“Good nutrition is vital to the health and development of our growing keiki and summer food service programs help to ensure that meals are available for all school-aged children during the summer break,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi in a statement released Friday. “We encourage our parents to make these meals part of your child’s summer schedules to give them balanced and nutritious options. We thank our devoted cafeteria staff and administrators and our federal partners for making this program possible each year.”
Instead of the “Grab &Go” containers available last year, summer meals will return to on-campus dining only, the standard format prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Rodrigues, last year’s summer program served 164,423 breakfasts and 239,417 lunches for a grand total of 403,840 summer meals at roughly 80 school locations statewide.
The DOE’s School Food Service branch serves roughly 100,000 nutritionally balanced meals a day to Hawaii’s students across the DOE’s 294 public and charter schools.
“Consistent and balanced nutrition helps to keep our keiki growing, learning and physically active,” said Rodrigues.
Meal recipients do not have to be enrolled at a participating school and can show up to the nearest location to receive their free meals.
A full list of serving times and locations can be viewed here: https://tinyurl.com/3yk4jpaf
Meals will consist of solid foods and any special diet accommodations can be made by emailing: specialdiets@k12.hi.us.
Eligibility for the SSO program requires that 50% or more of regularly enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches and some type of summer program is offered on campus.
The School Food Services branch uses the EZMealApp, where parents can submit applications for free and reduced-price meal benefits online throughout the year.
The SSO program has operated in Hawaii for more than 25 years, and is an extension of the National School Lunch program, which runs during the regular school year.
The Food Services Branch creates menus and establishes contracts with vendors, while schools order and prepare the food for students.
Participating schools providing breakfast and lunch for keiki throughout the summer in Hawaii County include:
• De Silva Elementary
• Hilo High
• Honokaa High &Intermediate
• Ka‘u High &Pahala Intermediate
• Kalanianaole Elementary &Intermediate
• Kaumana Elementary
• Keaau Elementary
• Keaau High
• Keaau Middle
• Kealakehe High
• Keaukaha Elementary
• Keonepoko Elementary
• Kohala Elementary
• Kohala High
• Kohala Middle
• Mountain View Elementary
• Naalehu Elementary &Intermediate
• Pahoa High &Intermediate
• Waiakea High
• Waiakea Intermediate
• Waimea Elementary
Email Grant Phillips at: gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com