2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 20-A: EDUCATION › Part 6: TEACHERS › Chapter 502: CREDENTIALING OF EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL › 20-A §13013-A. Salary supplements for national board-certified teachers

§13013-A. Salary supplements for national board-certified teachers
1.  Department of Education salary supplement.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Department of Education shall provide a public school teacher, a teacher in a publicly supported secondary school or a teacher employed by an education service center as authorized under chapter 123 who has attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization, with an annual national board certification salary supplement for the life of the certificate. The salary supplement must be added to the teacher's base salary and must be considered in the calculation for contributions to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System. If a nationally certified teacher is no longer employed as a teacher, the supplement ceases. The amount of the salary supplement is:
A. For fiscal year 2012-13, $2,500;   [PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
B. For fiscal year 2013-14, $2,750;   [PL 2019, c. 394, §1 (AMD).]
C. For fiscal year 2014-15 and succeeding years, except for a teacher under paragraph D, $3,000; and   [PL 2019, c. 394, §1 (AMD).]
D. For fiscal year 2020-21 and succeeding years, for a teacher who is employed in a school in which at least 50% of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch under chapter 223, subchapter 7 during the year that the supplement is provided, $5,000.   [PL 2019, c. 394, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. C, §1 (AMD).]
1-A.  Funding revenue.
The National Board Certification Salary Supplement Fund is established as a nonlapsing dedicated fund within the Department of Education beginning in fiscal year 2012-13. The salary supplement under subsection 1 must be funded from fees collected by the department pursuant to section 13007, subsection 1.
[PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
2.  Local filing; certification.
On or before October 15th annually, the superintendent of schools of a school administrative unit, the chief administrative officer of a publicly supported secondary school or a career and technical education region or the executive director of an education service center as authorized under chapter 123 shall file with the commissioner a certified list of national board-certified teachers eligible to receive the salary supplement pursuant to subsection 1.
[PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. C, §1 (AMD).]
3.  Payment.
If there are available resources, the department shall provide the salary supplement to school administrative units, publicly supported secondary schools and education service centers as authorized under chapter 123 for eligible teachers no later than February 15th of each year. The salary supplement paid may be prorated.
[PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. C, §1 (AMD).]
4.  Expend funds.
A school administrative unit or a publicly supported secondary school may expend funds received through the salary supplement under subsection 1 without calling for a special meeting of the local legislative body.
[PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (AMD).]
5.  Scholarship fund.
The National Board Certification Scholarship Fund is established as a nonlapsing dedicated fund, referred to in this subsection as "the scholarship fund," within the Department of Education to encourage teachers to apply to and enroll in the certification program offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or its successor organization, referred to in this subsection and subsection 6 as "the certification program." A school administrative unit, a publicly supported secondary school or an education service center as authorized under chapter 123 may request scholarship funds on behalf of its teachers who meet the requirements set forth in subsection 6. The department shall award funds according to this subsection.
A. In fiscal year 2012-13, the department shall allocate $50,000 from fees collected by the department pursuant to section 13007, subsection 1 to the scholarship fund. The department shall award an amount equal to the cost of the certification program less any other funds received by the applicant on a first-come first-served basis for the first 20 teachers accepted into the certification program annually.   [PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
B. Beginning in fiscal year 2013-14, the department shall allocate $75,000 from fees collected by the department pursuant to section 13007, subsection 1 each fiscal year to the scholarship fund. The department shall award an amount equal to the cost of enrollment in the certification program less any other funds received by the applicant to not more than 30 teachers accepted into the program annually.   [PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
[PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. C, §1 (AMD).]
6.  Eligibility requirements.
In order to receive scholarship funds according to subsection 5 on behalf of a teacher, the school administrative unit, a publicly supported secondary school or an education service center as authorized under chapter 123 must certify to the department that the teacher:
A. Is currently employed by a school administrative unit, a publicly supported secondary school or an education service center;   [PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. C, §1 (AMD).]
B. Has completed at least 3 years of teaching in the State;   [PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
C. Has agreed to mentor at least one other teacher employed in the State through the national board certification process to apply to and enroll in the certification program;   [PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
D. Has provided documentation of acceptance into the certification program; and   [PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
E. Has disclosed any other funds received to cover the cost of the certification program.   [PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
[PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. C, §1 (AMD).]
7.  Nonlapsing funds.
Any unencumbered balance of the National Board Certification Scholarship Fund under subsection 5 remaining at the end of a fiscal year may not lapse but must be carried forward to be used for the same purpose.
[PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2005, c. 519, §AAAA1 (NEW). PL 2005, c. 683, §H1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 58, §3 (REV). PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. D, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 702, §2 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 394, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 398, Pt. JJ, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. C, §1 (AMD).