LIHUE — Three Kauai schools will serve as free meal distribution centers as a part of a federally-backed program to ensure children from low-income families receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. Those three public schools — Kapaa,
LIHUE — Three Kauai schools will serve as free meal distribution centers as a part of a federally-backed program to ensure children from low-income families receive nutritious meals when school is not in session.
Those three public schools — Kapaa, Kekaha and Koloa Elementary Schools — are a few of the 59 participating schools that will be providing free meals to children 18 and under for the state Department of Education’s Summer Food Service Program.
“It’s our honor and privilege to continue serving families during the summer with nutritious meals that meet federal guidelines,” Ray L’Heureux, DOE assistant superintendent for school facilities and support services, said in a May 24 press release.
The program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is administered through eligible schools that have 50 percent or more of its regular enrolled students qualifying for free or reduced-priced lunches and some type of summer program on campus.
Meal recipients, however, do not have to be enrolled in those programs.
In all, about 60 percent of students who received lunch at Kekaha Elementary qualified for free- or reduced-priced lunch, according to a DOE report from the 2011-2012 school year.
The same report found that 57 and 53 percent of lunch-receiving students at Kapaa and Koloa Elementary schools qualified for free and reduced priced lunch, respectively.
About 130 children last year participated in the meal program each day at Kapaa Elementary School. Daily attendance numbers last year for Kehaka and Koloa Elementary Schools were not available, according to the DOE report.
Breakfast meal services at Kapaa Elementary will be held from 9:45 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday starting on June 3. The Kapaa Elementary meal program, which will only serve breakfast meals, will end on June 23.
Lunch meal services at Kehaka Elementary will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday starting on July 8. The program, which will only serve lunch meals, will end on July 26.
Both breakfast and lunch services at Koloa Elementary will be held from 8 to 8:20 a.m. and 11 to 11:25 a.m. Monday through Friday starting on June 12. The services for both meals at the school will end on July 19.
Information: www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer
