H1030 - 2016 Appropriations Act. (SL 2016-94)

Overview: Sec. 8.29 of S.L. 2016-94 establishes a pilot program for the local boards of education of the Anson, Franklin, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties school administrative units to provide tuition assistance awards to part-time or full-time teacher assistants working in these local school administrative units (LEAs) to pursue a college degree that will result in teacher licensure. The tuition assistance may be provided for part-time or full-time coursework and academic leave may be granted for coursework that can only be taken during working hours. A teacher assistant who receives an award under the pilot program must fulfill the student teaching requirements of an educator preparation program by working in the teacher assistant's employing LEA.

Each local board of education participating in the pilot program may select up to 5 teacher assistants to receive an award of up $4,500 per academic year for a period of up to 4 years to be used towards the cost of tuition and fees to attend an educator preparation program. Priority for the awards must be given to teacher assistants who received a tuition assistance award for the previous academic year and who is making satisfactory academic progress towards achieving teacher licensure.

The local board of education must (i) set the criteria for the application and selection for the tuition assistance awards and (ii) have a memorandum of understanding with the institution of higher education in which a recipient of the award is enrolled that includes specific procedures.

The participating local boards of education must report the results of the pilot program to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by September 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, on:

• The number and amount of funds in tuition assistance awards provided to teacher assistants.
• The number of teacher assistant recipients who achieved teacher licensure, including the period of time from the issue of an initial tuition assistance award to the time of achieving licensure.
• The number of recipients who remained employed in the LEA after achieving teacher licensure.

This section became effective July 1, 2016.