82% of Registered Hawaiʻi Voters Support Free School Meals for All

To strengthen student success, we must end child hunger. 

According to the Hawaiʻi Foodbank, nearly one in three local households struggle with food insecurity. An updated ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report released by Aloha United Way earlier this year found that 41% of residents have difficulty making ends meet and nearly half (46%) of these ALICE households struggle with consistent food access. 

Inadequate food security is a real problem facing our students today. Research shows that hunger negatively affects students’ academic performance, attendance, and focus, while increasing the likelihood of chronic health issues, stress, and depression.

To ensure our keiki have the nutrition they need to learn, our state should implement a universal free school meals program that delivers breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students. A new poll conducted by Hawai‘i Public Health Institute and Ward Research found that 82% of registered voters surveyed support guaranteeing free school meals for all children. 

The popularity of this policy among the public does not come as a surprise. Studies have shown that implementing free school meals is one of the most cost-effective academic interventions school systems can make. With free school meal programs nationwide showing academic improvements, at a cost of roughly 1% of the Department of Education budget, free school meals would provide a 15:1 return on investment.

Students need access to healthy meals in order to learn. Nutrition strengthens overall physical and mental health, and eating well allows students to concentrate on school, not on their hungry stomachs. Already, eight states and New York City Schools all provide free meals to uplift the success of their students. 

This year, bills have been introduced at the State Legislature to create a free school meals program for our state. To help ensure our keiki have the food security they need to reach their full potential, sign up for action alerts to be notified about upcoming hearings.

Together, we can send a strong message that Hawaiʻi’s people believe ending child hunger is essential to delivering a healthy future for our children.

The study by Ward Research, Inc. summarizes findings from a survey among n=723 Hawai‘i registered voters (maximum sampling error +/- 3.6%) conducted between November 19, 2024, and January 3, 2025.