U.S. Senator Brian Schatz today announced that schools in Hawai‘i will receive an estimated $2,340,000 in increased funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help cover the costs of school meal programs. The boost in funding will assist schools in continuing to serve nutritious meals to children, which is especially critical in light of increasing food costs and operational challenges during the pandemic.
“Hawai‘i’s school meal programs are essential to making sure that children have the nutritious meals they need to stay healthy and succeed in school,” said Senator Schatz. “This additional funding helps to ensure that school meal programs have the support they need to continue providing healthy meals to students.”
The USDA is making this mid-year increase in school meal reimbursements through a waiver established by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Schools in Hawai‘i will now receive reimbursement rates for school meals that are 22% higher than is standard.