Hoover City Schools board approves more than $6.3 million in construction and equipment contracts, rejects Hoover High lobby bids

The Hoover City Schools Board approved a string of construction and equipment contracts during its regular meeting, moving ahead with roof replacements, restroom renovations and food-service equipment purchases that together total roughly $6.33 million in awarded base bids and equipment costs.

The board awarded a child nutrition equipment contract to Birmingham Restaurant Supply Inc. (the successor to the low bidder Fresco) for $403,712 after CNP Director Melinda Bonner said, “We are replacing equipment at six different locations.” The board also approved separate construction awards recommended by Director of Operations Matt Wilson, including a Green Elementary gym renovation to CT General Contractors LLC for $419,857 and multiple partial roof replacement projects across the district.

Matt Wilson outlined the roofing work and recommended awards; the board approved the largest roof contract — Gwyn Elementary — to Garner and Associates Roofing and Facility Services LLC for $1,348,400 and also approved Garner for Brock’s Gap Intermediate at $1,235,000. Standard Roofing of Montgomery received the Berry Middle School partial roof contract for $519,900 and the Deer Valley partial roof replacement for $843,873. The Shades Mountain Blue Ridge Gym restoration was awarded to Alabama Roofing and Sheet Metal Company for $93,600.

Two comprehensive restroom renovation contracts were awarded to CT General Contractors LLC: Greystone Elementary’s restroom project for $769,026 (including alternates and allowances) and Trace Crossing Elementary’s restroom work for $697,190 (including alternates and allowances and a fire alarm allowance). Board members approved each motion by voice vote; the roll call at the meeting recorded five members present and the motions passed without recorded opposition.

Not every project moved forward: Wilson recommended rejecting all bids for the Hoover High lobby renovation after two bidders withdrew and the remaining proposal substantially exceeded the project budget due to higher-than-expected pricing for specified lighting, baffle systems and required fire-rated glazing. The board voted to reject the bids and directed staff to revise specifications and rebid.

The meeting also included a financial overview from CSFO Melinda Buck, who told the board that roughly “55% of the budget revenue has been received” for the fiscal year to date and that general fund expenditures stood at about 39.4% of budget. Buck noted the general fund reserve equaled approximately 11.6 months of operating costs and reviewed recent capital payments and bus purchases.

External auditors from Carr, Riggs & Ingram presented the FY2025 audit and gave the district an unmodified (clean) opinion. ‘‘The opinion — the audit opinion — is clean. Everything is an unmodified opinion,’’ auditor Andrew Waits told the board, and the single-audit compliance review of federal awards also produced a clean opinion. Auditors highlighted cash increases of about $10 million year over year (including an estimated $3 million rise in property tax revenue) and a roughly $9.5 million increase in capital assets, with the district’s government-wide net position increasing from about $60 million to $88 million.

Most motions to award contracts were moved and seconded by board members and approved by voice vote. In cases where contractors later withdrew or pricing returned higher than budgeted (notably the Hoover High lobby), staff said they would revise specifications and seek new bids. The board also previewed the FY2027 capital plan for review; it was introduced for discussion and will be considered in subsequent meetings.

The board adjourned after approving the contracts, the 2027–28 school calendar and other routine business. The next regular board meeting was set for May 12 at 5:30 p.m.