Chilton County Schools Superintendent Dave Hayden addressed in Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting the act passed by legislators this year that set changes for the Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP) law.

Under the new law, PEEHIP will require employees to contribute higher amounts to the plan and employers to contribute lower amounts over a five-year span.

Employees who are not retired as of Dec. 1, 2011 will have to pay higher premiums.

Hayden said the law was discussed at a statewide superintendents’ conference in Florence Tuesday morning, but he doubts the Dec. 1 deadline for retirement without higher premiums will be extended.

“It’s not a good thing, but we have very few choices,” Hayden said. “I would tell people don’t get creative and circumvent this process.”

In the monthly financial report, Chief Financial Officer Steve Yeargan said the board was slightly down in general funds in September, but based on the current budget, the sales tax would probably increase funding by about $200,000.

The board also did not encounter any emergency expenses last month, which helped September’s balance.

“Right now, we’re just rocking along,” Yeargan said. “We’re very fortunate that we didn’t experience any emergencies.”

Visitor Pam Price presented to the board a proposal for a test pilot program of a robotics class at LeCroy Career/Tech Center to be available as a pre-engineering class for high school students in Chilton County.

The board did not take action on the proposal at Tuesday’s meeting to allow members to more time to review it.

In other business, the board:

•Approved all schools’ and the school system’s continuous improvement plans as presented by Karen Mitchell.

•Approved payrolls and minutes of the previous meeting.

•Awarded a bid on pest control service.

•Approved substitute employee list.

•Approved child nutrition program request.

•Approved leave requests for five Chilton County School System employees.

•Approved the following school requests: Chilton County High for permission of auditorium and lunchroom use Nov. 4 and 5 for Miss Chilton County Pageant; Jemison Elementary for approval of a contract substitute teacher; Thorsby for approval to close enrollment to students who do not live in Thorsby city limits or on a Thorsby bus route; LeCroy Center for permission for HOSA students to tour St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. on April 17, 2012.

•Approved homebound services for a Verbena student from Oct. 10-Nov. 21.

•Accepted resignations from 13 Chilton County School System employees.

•Approved nine Chilton County School System employees.

•Posted vacancies.

•Approved long-term placement of a JHS student in the Chilton Alternative Program for 45 days.

•Approved contracts with Bernie Office Solutions for the special education copier and the central office copier.

•Approved the implementation of the afterschool programs through the 21^st Century Community Learning Center grant.