The Andalusia Board of Education Monday served up a $14.08 million budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, with spinach salad and pluots on the side.

Board members got a sample of fruit and vegetables being served at Andalusia Elementary School this week courtesy of a USDA grant designed to promote healthy eating. The school system received the $47,282 grant again this year, child nutrition coordinator Stephanie Dillard said, because 60 percent of its students receive free or reduced lunches.

The fruits and vegetables are just one factor in strict new guidelines for school lunches mandated by the federal Healthy Hunger Kids Free Act, which requires students to take at least one serving of fruit or vegetables on a tray; mandates only whole grains; allows no trans fats; and requires fat free flavored milk or 1 percent milk.

The regulations also allow only a half-cup of starchy vegetables – like potatoes or beans – each week, restrict sodium, and sets calorie minimums and maximums.

As they sampled a pluot – a hybrid plum and apricot – and tasted fresh spinach with strawberries, board members approved a healthy budget.

The FY 2013 expenditures include $8 million for instructional services and $1.8 million for instructional support services, funding 8.5 administrators, four counselors; three librarians; and 109 teachers, as well as 62 support personnel.

The budget includes $1.3 million for operations and maintenance; $1.4 million for auxiliary services; $711 thousand for general administrative services; $604 thousand for debt services and $200 thousand for other expenses.

In other business, the board:

• Accepted the resignation of Judy Bozeman, AES special education teacher.

• Approved a supplement funded by the Booster Club for Jacob King, an assistant football coach at AHS.

• Set its next meeting for 6 p.m. Oct. 15 at AHS.