Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, November 19, 2010
BoE refuses to follow law: Rejects meal price increases
By News Release @ 6:43 PM :: 7012 Views :: Energy, Environment

BOE REJECTS SCHOOL MEAL PRICE INCREASE 

HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Board of Education has decided against raising public school meal prices out of concern for working families hard hit by the recession and already facing higher fees for afterschool programs, summer school, and student transportation.

The Board voted 8-2 Thursday night to oppose increasing the 95-cent school breakfast to $1 and the $2.20 lunch to $2.35 as recommended by the Department of Education.

The proposed price hikes came in response to Act 26, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Linda Lingle in 2009. It mandated the Department to set breakfast and lunch prices at no less than half the cost of preparing the meals due to escalating food, energy and labor costs.

Board Chairman Garrett Toguchi called for the Legislature to repeal Act 26, and provide sufficient funding for the school food program instead of passing on steeper costs to struggling families.

“A hungry student cannot learn,” Toguchi said, noting that new meal prices just took effect in January, when lunch rose from $1.25 to the current $2.20, and breakfast increased from 35 cents to 95 cents.

“While some families may be able to absorb what appears to be a modest increase, students in the so-called ‘gap’ group would not qualify for free and reduced lunch,” Toguchi added. “These are the very same families whose students are also ineligible for state subsidies available for afterschool programs and bus transportation – services that have already become more expensive.”

The one-way bus fare increased to 75 cents from 35 cents this year, while next year, the fee for the afterschool A-Plus program will jump $25 to $80, and summer school will cost $190, up from $160.

---30---

Here’s a list of budget items the Leg, the BoE and the Abercrombie administration agree not to deal with:  Hawaii DoE: Cost of waste, fraud, and corruption between $191M and $431M per year

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT