HOOVER – Hoover City Schools’ “Meals in Motion” summer feeding program has been recognized for its effectiveness in its first year of existence.

The program was recognized by the Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Jason Gaston with HCS told the system’s Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, July 2.

Meals in Motion serves more than 200 lunches each weekday during the summer at the Hoover Public Library as part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

The partnership between the HCS Child Nutrition Program and various other entities began in early June and runs through July 27.

“This would not have happened without the help of the Hoover Public Library,” CNP Director Melinda Bonner said. “This has been a wonderful collaboration to bring students to the library and while they are there for the events or reading, have a lunch on us.”

All children and teens ages 18 and under qualify for lunch at no cost Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

There is no enrollment or identification requirement, and participants do not have to be Hoover residents or HCS students, but food must be consumed on site.

The eye-catching Meals in Motion bus was created with donations from the Hoover Helps Foundation.

The program, which served 4,442 lunches during its first month of operation, was recently audited by the Alabama Department of Education, Bonner said.

“They told us not to change one thing—it was the most organized summer feeding program they had seen,” Bonner said.

In other business, the Board:

• Approved a 5-cent increase in the cost of all school meals. “We always hate to bump prices up, but it becomes necessary based on the price of food and the number of students we serve,” HCS Superintendent Kathy Murphy said.
• Recognized Spain Park High School soccer players Jasmine Greene and Brooks Rice, both of whom were named Gatorade players of the year.
• Approved a salary schedule committee request to increase the number of personal days granted per year to classified employees from two to five. The measure will make the number of days granted more equitable for all employees.
• Approved another salary schedule committee request to set the number of vacation days granted per year for directors/coordinators at 15. Some employees in these positions previously were granted 10 vacation days. “This is just housekeeping for the most part,” BOE President Craig Kelley said.
• Approved a job description for a psychological/behavior specialist position. Murphy said creation of the position is a result of continuing conversations about school safety. The work was previously performed by a consultant, Murphy said, but officials decided a full-time, in-house employee would be preferable.
• Approved personnel actions and business actions, including the May financial statement, May cash disbursements of about $3.6 million and June payroll of about $7.4 million.
• Heard that an audit of the school system’s 2017 finances produced a favorable, “clean” opinion.
• Approved resolutions related to reimbursement on future or potential capital expenditures, and to engage Raymond James and Maynard Cooper for preliminary action of possible bond refunding. Officials explained that the resolutions do not commit the Board to any actions.