§ 20-A §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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.

Legislative 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).