District 490 Board of Education members discussed approval of milk bids Monday night at their regular board meeting for July.

In prior years, the school did not own the coolers for milk they provided.

The district had to rely on the company that supplied their milk to also provide the coolers, which restricted the district’s options on bids.

This year the school has purchased used coolers and can now choose milk providers.

Hiland has been the company USD 490 has used with cooler access.

“We in the past have not owned the milk coolers and so we have been stuck with Hiland as the only provider because they owned the milk coolers and were willing to provide the coolers,” said Norm Wilks, director of fiscal services. “In the past, Hiland has been our only provider. They didn’t want to do that anymore.”

The district received two bids for milk for the 2008-09 academic year.

Borden and Hiland were companies that supplied bid offers.

“They are up about a nickel from what it was last year,” Wilks said. “But milk prices have gone up per pint.”

The coming school year the board decided to accept the bid from Borden.

“Raw milk is the escalator,” said Wilks. “If the price of raw milk goes up, prices will change.”