Kapaa Elementary is the lone school on Kauai that will provide a free, USDA-sponsored meal program for children starting in June, the Hawaii Department of Education announced. The Seamless Summer Program will be available for children 18 years and younger
Kapaa Elementary is the lone school on Kauai that will provide a free, USDA-sponsored meal program for children starting in June, the Hawaii Department of Education announced.
The Seamless Summer Program will be available for children 18 years and younger at 42 public schools statewide from Monday to Friday, starting June 8 through July 17. Kapaa Elementary School will begin serving 9:45 a.m. breakfast starting June 9 through July 8.
Dan Carlson, assistant superintendent of the Office of School Facilities and Support Services, said children do not need to be enrolled in school to be served meals.
“We encourage families to take advantage of the opportunities to ensure their children have nutritious meals our schools can help provide,” Carlson said.
Kalei Arinaga, vice principal for Kapaa Elementary, said feeding children breakfast will be one less thing for parents to worry about this summer.
Arinaga added that Kapaa elementary expects to have between 140 to 160 students attend the school’s summer program in June.
Brent Suyama, DOE spokesman, said SSP is in line with the DOE meal program, with the USDA reimbursing the DOE for each meal.
“Lunches cost $5.50, and we would get $3.80 back from the USDA,” Suyama said.
The USDA plans to serve more than 200 million free meals at approved SFSP sites across the United States, according to the USDA’s website.
Last summer, Koloa Elementary School and Kapaa elementary distributed 2,450 breakfast meals in June and 1,582 meals in July (857 breakfast meals and 725 lunch meals).
Statewide, the DOE distributed 295,698 meals.
