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 $300,000 the first year and $300,000 the second year from the general fund for the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program. These scholarships shall be for students at or beyond the junior year in college with a grade point average of at least 2.7 who are nominated by their college. Students shall be enrolled in approved teacher preparation programs for special education, chemistry, physics, earth and space science, foreign languages, or technology education. 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. 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 net of any administrative or legal fees associated with the collection of these funds.

D. This appropriation includes $10,000 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. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall prepare a report on programs and activities dealing with the management of student conduct which are available to local school divisions. The information shall be provided to local superintendents and local school board chairmen by the start of the 1997-98 school year.