HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

135

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the department of education to develop and add farm to school implementation standards to the annual school principal evaluations.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, school food programs play a critical role in improving the health and educational outcomes of Hawaii's keiki by encouraging consumption of fresh, locally grown foods; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii Farm to School Program was established in 2015 to transition the State's school food systems toward locally grown food for the benefit of students, small businesses, local farmers, and the environment; and

 

     WHEREAS, from 2016 to 2018, the Aina Pono Executive Program oversaw two pilot projects to evaluate the feasibility of and processes required to increase the amount of fresh, local food on public school menus; and

 

     WHEREAS, the success of these pilot projects highlighted the need to make similar changes across the public school system; and

 

     WHEREAS, the implementation of farm to school programs requires centralized strategies across the Department of Education and site-specific strategies at each school; and

 

     WHEREAS, principals and school administration play a key role in the implementation of farm to school programs; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the Department of Education is requested to develop farm to school implementation standards and to add the standards to the annual school principal evaluations to improve student access to fresh, local foods in public school food programs; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to work with the Hawaii Government Employees Association to develop the farm to school implementation standards; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Chairperson of the Board of Education, Interim Superintendent of Education, and President of the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Department of Education; Farm To School; Implementation Standards