Free lunch program expands; Nine East Hawaii schools to benefit

Every student at the nine noncharter public schools in Puna and Ka‘u will receive free meals for breakfast and lunch starting in the fall.

The state Department of Education announced Tuesday its expansion of the federal Community Eligibility Provision program, which allows schools and school districts to serve the meals even if the students do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

Twenty-three schools across the state were added to the program after a successful pilot group of seven schools participated in CEP last year. All of the schools added from Hawaii Island are in the Keaau-Pahoa-Ka‘u area complex.

CEP is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program established in 2010 through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

“I’m so, so thankful that they’ve done this program,” said Keaau High School Principal Dean Cevallos.

At Keaau High, 76 percent of its 973 students are enrolled in the free and reduced programs, but Cevallos said the actual number who qualify is higher because not all eligible students turn in their application forms.

Under CEP, nobody will need to turn in forms to qualify for free meals. However, families still will be asked to complete a household survey form in order to help the DOE gather information previously accessed through the meal program applications.

“We know we have a community that needs to get fed, and this is going to give them a breakfast, and it’s going to give them a lunch, no matter what,” Cevallos said. “No matter who they are, they’re going to get this … I think it’s absolutely fantastic.”

The Keaau-Pahoa-Ka‘u school complex serves some of the poorest communities in the state. There are about 5,500 students in the complex, and an average of 88 percent qualify for free or reduced-price meals, according to the most recent DOE numbers.

“We’re extremely grateful for this consideration and the opportunity to feed our kids,” said Complex Area Superintendent Chad Ferias.

Ferias said the program would be a particular boon to families who are in the reduced-price program but “right on the cusp” of qualifying for the free program.

“These are some of our hungriest kids,” he said.

When a school or group of schools is part of CEP, the USDA pays a different reimbursement rate to the district. In the case of the Hawaii schools enrolled, the higher reimbursement rate means schools do not have to charge students at all.

“I’m hoping it kind of pushes them into having a great breakfast, having a great lunch,” Cevallos said. “We’re much better than McDonald’s.”

Mountain View Elementary Principal Jamil Ahmadia already has seen the benefits of being part of CEP. Last year, the school was one of the original seven selected for the pilot program. Most others were on Molokai.

“They wanted to pilot schools that they believed would benefit from such programs, and once they looked at our demographics, they thought it would be good for us,” Ahmadia said.

Between 93 and 95 percent of Mountain View’s 540-student enrollment qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

Since the pilot began, there has been a “significant increase” in the students eating breakfast and lunch at Mountain View, Ahmadia said. There’s also been an increase in overall student attendance.

“We see quite a bit of improvement in attendance compared to years in the past,” Ahmadia said. “It is making a difference in our school.”

Parent feedback has been positive from the start.

“The biggest plus is to see the kids eating more meals,” Ahmadia said. “We knew that when the kids eat, and they have more energy in their little bodies, they’re going to be more attentive in the classrooms, and they’re going to learn better.”

Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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Hawaii Island Schools in the CEP Program (beginning school year 2016-17)

Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary

Keaau Elementary

Keaau High

Keaau Middle

Keonepoko Elementary

Mountain View Elementary

Naalehu Elementary

Pahoa Elementary

Pahoa High