HB380: Grow Your Own Teacher Program Fund and Grow Your Own Teacher Programs; established.


HOUSE BILL NO. 380
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the House Committee on Education
on February 7, 2018)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Krizek)
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 15 of Title 22.1 an article numbered 7, consisting of sections numbered 22.1-318.3, 22.1-318.4, and 22.1-318.5, relating to the establishment of the Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Programs and Fund.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 15 of Title 22.1 an article numbered 7, consisting of sections numbered 22.1-318.3, 22.1-318.4, and 22.1-318.5, as follows:

Article 7.
Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Programs and Fund.

§ 22.1-318.3. Purpose.

The purpose of the Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Programs and Fund is to provide scholarships to low-income high school graduates who are committed to attend a baccalaureate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and to subsequently teach in high-need public schools in their school divisions of residence.

§ 22.1-318.4. Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Programs Fund established.

There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Programs Fund, referred to in this article as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All funds appropriated for such purpose and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purpose of awarding grants to local school boards to establish Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Programs pursuant to § 22.1-318.5. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

§ 22.1-318.5. Grown Your Own Teacher Pilot Programs.

A. The Department of Education (the Department) shall establish a process by which local school boards may apply to the Department for grants from the Fund to establish Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Programs to provide a scholarship (program scholarship) not to exceed $7,500 per academic year for attendance at a baccalaureate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to any individual who:

1. Graduated from a public high school in the local school division;

2. Was eligible for free or reduced price lunch throughout the individual's attendance at a public high school in the local school division; and

3. Commits to teach, within three years of graduating from the baccalaureate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and for a period of at least four years, in the school division at a public high school at which at least 50 percent of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

B. In the event that any program scholarship recipient fails or refuses to comply with the teaching obligation under subdivision A 3, the sum of all scholarship funds received by such individual shall be converted to a loan that is subject to repayment with interest (i) that begins to accrue 90 days after the date that the scholarship recipient graduates from or fails to maintain continuous enrollment at the baccalaureate institution of higher education and (ii) at a rate that does not exceed 5.5 percent per annum.

2. That the provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, 2023.

HOUSE BILL NO. 380

Offered January 10, 2018
Prefiled January 5, 2018
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 15 of Title 22.1 an article numbered 7, consisting of sections numbered 22.1-318.3, 22.1-318.4, and 22.1-318.5, relating to the establishment of the Grow Your Own Teacher Program Fund; Grow Your Own Teacher Programs.
Patron-- Krizek

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 15 of Title 22.1 an article numbered 7, consisting of sections numbered 22.1-318.3, 22.1-318.4, and 22.1-318.5, as follows:

Article 7.
Grow Your Own Teacher Program Fund; Grow Your Own Teacher Programs.

§ 22.1-318.3. Purpose.

The purpose of the Grow Your Own Teacher Program Fund is to provide scholarships to low-income high school graduates who are committed to attend a baccalaureate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and to subsequently teach in high-need public schools in their school divisions of residence.

§ 22.1-318.4. Grow Your Own Teacher Program Fund established.

There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Grow Your Own Teacher Program Fund, referred to in this article as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All funds appropriated for such purpose and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purpose of awarding grants to local school boards to establish Grow Your Own Teacher Programs pursuant to § 22.1-318.5. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

§ 22.1-318.5. Grown Your Own Teacher Programs.

A. The Department of Education (the Department) shall establish a process by which local school boards may apply to the Department for grants from the Fund to establish Grow Your Own Teacher Programs to provide a scholarship (program scholarship) not to exceed $7,500 per academic year for attendance at a baccalaureate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to any individual who:

1. Graduated from a public high school in the local school division;

2. Was eligible for free or reduced price lunch throughout the individual's attendance at a public high school in the local school division; and

3. Commits to teach, within three years of graduating from the baccalaureate institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and for a period of at least four years, in the school division at a public high school at which at least 50 percent of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

B. In the event that any program scholarship recipient fails or refuses to comply with the teaching obligation under subdivision A 3, the sum of all scholarship funds received by such individual shall be converted to a loan that is subject to repayment with interest (i) that begins to accrue 90 days after the date that the scholarship recipient graduates from or fails to maintain continuous enrollment at the baccalaureate institution of higher education and (ii) at a rate that does not exceed 5.5 percent per annum.