PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFERS SUMMER MEALS FOR STUDENTS
In early June, the Seamless Summer Option program began serving free meals at 83 select Hawai‘i schools to children ages 18 and younger, regardless of public or charter school enrollment standings. The summer food service program provides meals Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays.
The SSO was established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure that children continue to receive balanced nutrition year-long, making it possible for schools to feed kids once the regular school year ends.
“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 Keith Hayashi, Hawai‘i Superintendent of Education. “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.”
The summer meal program returned to on-campus dining only and no longer offers the “grab and go” option used in the previous years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children do not have to be enrolled at the participating school to receive a meal from the site. For special diet accommodations, please email specialdiets@k12.hi.us to describe your keiki’s allergies or dietary restrictions.
To be eligible for the SSO program, at least half of the school’s regularly enrolled students must qualify for free or reduced-price lunches and have an on-campus summer program. Once approved by the state agency, meals are reimbursed at free rates for all children 18 and younger.
Schools may serve breakfast only, lunch only or both meals. To find locations and times, please call your nearest participating school directly or visit hawaiipublicschools.org and click on the “free summer meals” link.
