Kanu o ka ‘Aina is slated to receive $1.8 million for a multipurpose building that’ll provide a certified commercial kitchen, and athletic and performance space for pupils at the K-12 public charter school in Waimea.
The funds, which were released by Gov. David Ige in January, will most importantly help provide healthy meals for students in need. While the kitchen will serve the entire student body, for some students at the Hawaiian-focused, bi-lingual school, that nutritious meal is a crucial part of their day.
According to House Rep. David Tarnas, whose district includes Kanu o Ka ‘Aina, there are a significant number of students living with food insecurity in the Waimea area.
“A lot of students at Kanu o ka ‘Aina live in households where they don’t get enough to eat, and so they come to school to get nutritious food,” he told West Hawaii Today.
Some 47% of students attending public and public charter schools in Hawaii were “economically challenged” in 2019-20 with 84,993 students qualified for free and reduced-price lunch that year, according to the state Department of Education. More than 3,600 students that year were “homeless.”
Kanu o ka ‘Aina is among the list of Title I schools in the state, which is schools that have a minimum poverty threshold of 47.2%. According to the DOE’s Title I report for 2020-21, Kanu o ka ‘Aina’s poverty rate was 55.96%.
“Once completed, this school kitchen will significantly increase our community’s resilience by enhancing our capacity to provide fresh and nutritious food to our students who need it the most,” Tarnas said.
Currently, the school, which was founded in 2000 and boasts an enrollment of 200-plus students, depends on Waimea Elementary School and food trucks to supply food for their students.
“It’s been a real challenge,” said Tarnas. “I commend the folks for their steadfast effort.”
While the funds have been released by the Ige, officials at Kanu o ka ‘Aina said they have yet to receive the money. The next step is for the state Department of Accounting and General Services, which is managing the project, to work with Kanu o ka ‘Aina to execute a contract.
“Kanu o ka ‘Aina is so thankful for the support of the Legislature to build a kitchen for our students who are currently unable to receive USDA food subsidies. The Hawaii Island delegation of Senator (Lorraine) Inouye, Representative Tarnas and Representative (Mark) Nakashima, and their staff have worked diligently to support our keiki,” said Taffi Wise, Kanu o Ka æAina’s chief business officer,. “We thank Governor Ige for releasing the funds and look forward to finishing the kitchen at our campus in Waimea, which will help with the food security issues in our rural community. Mahalo piha to all who have supported this endeavor.”
The funds, allocated to finance plans, design and construction, as well as equipping the building, were appropriated during the 2021 legislative session.