Creation of a grant program for teachers employed by sparsely populated school districts and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority. (FE)

This bill creates a grant program to encourage eligible teachers to teach in schools operated by eligible school districts. Under the bill, 1) an “eligible school district" is a school district whose membership in the school year preceding the school year for which a grant is awarded under the grant program divided by the school district's area in square miles is less than ten and 2) an “eligible teacher" is a teacher who teaches in a school operated by an eligible school district.

The bill requires HEAB to grant financial assistance to an eligible teacher who is nominated by his or her school district for participation in the grant program and who submits a claim for that financial assistance after each year in which the eligible teacher teaches in such a school. The claim must 1) include the signature of the eligible teacher and of a representative of the school district employing the eligible teacher certifying that during the period for which financial assistance is claimed, the school district was an eligible school district and the eligible teacher taught in a school operated by that eligible school district; 2) include a commitment by the eligible teacher that he or she will use the financial assistance to repay student loans incurred to defray the cost of tuition, fees, and expenses for programs of study relating to the teaching profession; and 3) provide such other information as HEAB may require by rule to verify the claimant's eligibility for financial assistance.

The maximum amount of financial assistance that an eligible teacher may receive under the grant program is $1,000 for the first school year, $2,000 for the second school year, $2,000 for the third school year, $2,000 for the fourth school year, and $3,000 for the fifth school year in which the eligible teacher participates in the grant program. An eligible teacher may receive financial assistance under the grant program for no more than five school years. No more than four eligible teachers employed by a given eligible school district may participate in the grant program in a given school year.