SR 113: urging the department of education to provide a detailed report to the legislature on the true cost of producing SCHOOL meals to ensure transparency and avoid UNNECESSARY price increases.

SENATE RESOLUTION

urging the department of education to provide a detailed report to the legislature on the true cost of producing SCHOOL meals to ensure transparency and avoid UNNECESSARY price increases.

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education is responsible for ensuring that students have access to nutritious and affordable meals; and

     WHEREAS, the State receives federal reimbursement for school meals through participation in the School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, and other school meal reimbursement programs; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education has proposed an increase in school meal prices, which would lead to an increase in the price of student lunch from $2.50 to $4.75 for grades K-8 and from $2.75 to $5.00 for grades 9-12 by the 2028-2029 school year; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education cites the current cost of producing a student lunch at $9.00; and

     WHEREAS, section 302A-405, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the Department of Education to ensure that monies received from the sale of school meals are at least one-half the cost of preparing the meals; and

     WHEREAS, there is currently no reporting system in the Department of Education's budgeting process to provide itemized cost breakdowns for school meals; and

     WHEREAS, increasing prices for school meals negatively impacts Hawaii's working families and students that receive free or reduced-price meals; and

     WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the State to address food insecurity and provide access to free and reduced-price school meals; and

     WHEREAS, it is essential to ensure that proper reporting processes are in place to provide transparency as to the costs of producing school meals; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Education is urged to provide a detailed report to the Legislature on the true cost of producing school meals to ensure transparency and avoid unnecessary price increases; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to include the current cost breakdown to produce school meals for the 2024-2025 school year and projected cost breakdown for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years in the report, including:

     (1)  The costs of ingredients, including an indication of whether each ingredient is locally sourced;

     (2)  Operational costs;

     (3)  Beverage costs;

     (4)  Material and supply costs; and

     (5)  Logistical and distribution costs; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to include data on the number of school meals provided to students for each school year in the report, including the number of:

     (1)  Full-price meals;

     (2)  Reduced-price meals;

     (3)  Free meals;

     (4)  Total meals subject to federal reimbursement;

     (5)  Total meals not subject to federal reimbursement;

     (6)  The total number of all student meals; and

     (7)  The total cost of all student meals; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Education.

Report Title: 

Department of Education; School Meals; Report

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1513

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 113

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 113 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE A DETAILED REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON THE TRUE COST OF PRODUCING SCHOOL MEALS TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND AVOID UNNECESSARY PRICE INCREASES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to provide a detailed report to the Legislature on the true cost of producing school meals to ensure transparency and avoid unnecessary price increases.

     Your Committee received no testimony on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Education has a statutory mandate to ensure that funds received from the sale of school meals are at least one-half the cost of preparing the meals.  While costs associated with food service have increased in the last decade, there are no codified reporting procedures for the Department of Education to report costs.  Without accurate data, students and families are unable to ascertain the justification for increases to meal costs, which negatively impact students who receive free or reduced-price meals.  Encouraging the Department of Education to establish proper reporting processes will enable transparency, effective communication, and fiscal responsibility for meal preparation.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 113 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,