Authority: §§ 22.1-298 and 22.1-299, Code of Virginia.

A. Proceeds from the fee schedule for the issuance of teaching certificates shall be utilized to defray all, or any part of, the expenses incurred by the Department of Education in issuing or accounting for teaching certificates. The fee schedule shall take into account the actual costs of issuing certificates. Any portion of the general fund appropriation for this Item may be supplemented by such fees.

B. This appropriation includes $558,000 the first year and $558,000 the second year from the general fund for the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program. These scholarships shall be for undergraduate students at or beyond the sophomore year in college with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 who are nominated by their college and students at the graduate level, who are nominated by their college and who meet the criteria and qualifications, pursuant to § 22.1-290.01, Code of Virginia. Awards shall be made to students who are enrolled full-time or part-time in approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education programs for (i) critical teacher shortage disciplines, such as special education, chemistry, physics, earth and space science, foreign languages, or technology education or (ii) as students meeting the qualifications in § 22.1-290.01, Code of Virginia, who have been identified by a local school board to teach in any discipline or at any grade level in which the school board has determined that a shortage of teachers exists; however, such persons shall meet the qualifications for awards granted pursuant to this item. Minority students may be enrolled in any content area for teacher preparation and male students may be enrolled in any approved elementary or middle school teacher preparation program; therefore, this provision shall satisfy the requirements for the Diversity in Teaching Initiative and Fund, pursuant to Chapters 570, 597, 623, 645, and 719 of the Acts of Assembly of 2000. Scholarship recipients may fulfill the teaching obligation by accepting a teaching position (i) in one of the critical teacher shortage disciplines; or (ii) regardless of teaching discipline, in a school with a high concentration of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch; or (iii) in any discipline or at grade levels with a shortage of teachers; or (iv) in a rural or urban region of the state with a teacher shortage. For the purposes of this item, "critical teacher shortage area and discipline" means subject areas and grade levels identified by the Board of Education in which the demand for classroom teachers exceeds the supply of teachers, as defined in the Board of Education's Regulations Governing the Determination of Critical Teacher Shortage Areas. Scholarship amounts are based on $3,720 per year for full-time students, and shall be prorated for part-time students based on the number of credit hours. The Board of Education is authorized to recover total funds awarded as scholarships or the appropriate proportion thereof in the event that scholarship recipients fail to honor the stipulated teaching obligation. The Department of Education shall report annually on the critical shortage teaching areas in Virginia.

C. The Board of Education is authorized to recover total funds awarded prior to July 1, 1992, as scholarships, or the appropriate portion thereof, in the event that scholarship recipients fail to honor the stipulated teaching obligation. Any funds collected by the Board on behalf of this program shall revert to the general fund on June 30 each year. Such reversion shall be the net of any administrative or legal fees associated with the collection of these funds.

D. This appropriation includes $75,000 the first year and $75,000 the second year from the general fund for incentive grants for Virginia teachers seeking certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

E. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Department of Education provide bonuses from state funds to classroom teachers in Virginia's public schools who hold certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. Such bonuses shall be $5,000 the first year of the certificate and $2,500 annually thereafter for the life of the certificate for those classroom teachers initially awarded this certification prior to July 1, 2004; however, for those classroom teachers initially awarded this certification on July 1, 2004, or thereafter, such bonuses shall be $3,000 the first year of the certificate and $1,000 annually thereafter for the life of the certificate. This appropriation includes an amount estimated at $2,007,500 the first year and $2,229,000 the second year from the general fund for the purpose of paying these bonuses. By September 30 of each year, school divisions shall notify the Department of Education of the number of classroom teachers under contract for that school year who hold such certification.

F. This appropriation includes $307,285 the first year and $307,285 the second year from the general fund to establish an alternative licensure program as prescribed by the Board of Education.

G. This appropriation includes $1,267,398 from the general fund and $200,000 from federal funds the first year and $1,267,398 from the general fund and $200,000 from federal funds the second year is provided to assist schools that do not meet the Standards of Accreditation as prescribed by the Board of Education.