By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

HOOVER—The Hoover Board of Education approved three bids for the coming academic year during a July 13 meeting. Two bids were for the system’s Child Nutrition Program and one for transportation.

The BOE unanimously accepted a $1.97 million bid from Forestwood Farm to provide “fruits, veggies and produce” for school meals for the year, Hoover CNP central stores program specialist Pam Franklin explained.

The bid from Forestwood Farm was the lower of the two bids returned to the school system.

Milk for the coming school year will be provided by Barber’s Dairy. The BOE accepted the dairy’s $429,240 bid during the July 13 meeting.

Although “a little higher” than the other bid returned to the school system, milk from Barber’s Dairy complied with the sodium content restrictions while the other did not, Franklin said.

The BOE also approved a bid from Transportation South to purchase Thomas Built Type “C” Conventional school buses at $79,576 per bus. Hoover coordinator of pupil transportation James Knickrehm suggested selecting the Thomas Built buses because they come with the desired engine type as well as a “three-year bumper to bumper warranty” on each vehicle.

Knickrehm did not provide a definite number of buses to be purchased, but confirmed it would be slightly less than 10.

The next regular Hoover BOE meeting is scheduled for Aug. 10 at 5:30 p.m.