Castle High School senior Haliʻa Tom-Jardine has seen firsthand what happens when her classmates can’t afford lunch: embarrassment, followed by lethargy and shorter attention spans in class.
Fewer students are facing these challenges after lawmakers set aside nearly $4 million to increase access to free school meals last spring. The Hawaiʻi Department of Education has estimated that nearly 28,000 low-income students could benefit from the two-year expansion.
But students and teachers say the new funding still isn’t reaching all kids in need of free meals at school. Not all parents know how to complete the paperwork needed for free school meals, advocates say, while others may earn too much to qualify for free lunch but still struggle financially…