Direct Aid to Public Education (197)

Authority: Discretionary Inclusion.

A. Out of this appropriation, the Department of Education shall provide $373,776 the first year and $373,776 the second year from the general fund for the Jobs for Virginia Graduates initiative.

B.1. Out of this appropriation, the Department of Education shall provide $688,500 the first year and $688,500$619,650 the second year from the general fund for Project Discovery.  These funds are to fund approximately one-half of the cost of the program in Abingdon, Accomack/Northampton, Alexandria, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Bedford, Bland, Campbell, Charlottesville, Cumberland, Danville/Pittsylvania, Fairfax, Franklin/Patrick, Goochland/Powhatan, Lynchburg, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond City, Roanoke City, Smyth, Surry/Sussex, Tazewell, Williamsburg/James City, and Wythe and the salary of a fiscal officer for Project Discovery.

2. The Department of Education shall determine the Project Discovery funding distributions to each community action agency. The contract with Project Discovery, Inc. should specify the allocations to each local Project Discovery program.  Allocations shall be on a per pupil basis for students enrolled in the program.

C. Out of this appropriation, the Department of Education shall provide $124,011 the first year and $124,011 the second year from the general fund for the Southwest Virginia Public Education Consortium at the University of Virginia's College at Wise.  An additional $71,849 the first year and $71,849 the second year from the general fund is provided to the Consortium to continue the Van Gogh Outreach program with Lee and Wise County Public Schools and expand the program to the twelve school divisions in Southwest Virginia.

D. This appropriation includes $58,905 the first year and $58,905 the second year from the general fund for the Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium to expand the research and development phase of a technology linkage.

E. An additional state payment of $145,896 the first year and $145,896 the second year from the general fund is provided as a Small School Division Assistance grant for the City of Norton.  To receive these funds, the local school board shall certify to the Superintendent of Public Instruction that its division has entered into one or more educational, administrative or support service cost-sharing arrangements with another local school division.

F. Out of this appropriation, $248,021 the first year and $248,021 the second year from the general fund shall be allocated for the Career and Technical Education Resource Center to provide vocational curriculum and resource instructional materials free of charge to all school divisions.

G. 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.  This appropriation includes an amount estimated at $4,970,000$4,677,500 the first year and $4,970,000 $4,677,500 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 that hold such certification.

H.1. This appropriation includes $708,000 the first year and $708,000 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 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; or (iii) those students seeking degrees in Career and Technical 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; 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.

2. The Department of Education shall make payments on behalf of the scholarship recipients directly to the Virginia institution of higher education where the scholarship recipient is enrolled full-time or part-time in an approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education program.

3. The Board of Education is authorized to recover total funds awarded 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.

I. Out of the amounts for this Item, shall be provided $31,003 the first year and $31,003 the second year from the general fund for the Virginia Career Education Foundation.

J. Out of this appropriation, $212,500 the first year and $212,500 the second year from the general fund shall be distributed to the Greater Richmond Area Scholarship Program, Incorporated (GRASP) to provide students and families in need access to financial aid, scholarships, and counseling to maximize educational opportunities for students.