ENROLLED
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
H. B. 2588
(By Delegates M. Poling and Paxton)
[Passed March 10, 2007; in effect July 1, 2007.]
AN ACT to amend and reenact §18A-3-3a of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to the reimbursement of tuition,
registration and other required fees for coursework completed
by teachers for certification renewal and an additional
endorsement in a shortage area; creating priority for
reimbursement of courses for renewals and endorsement in
shortage areas if insufficient funds appropriated; and
limiting semester hours of courses reimbursed for any teacher.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18A-3-3a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. TRAINING, CERTIFICATION, LICENSING, PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT.
§18A-3-3a. Payment of tuition, registration and other fees for
teachers; maximum payment per teacher.
(a) The West Virginia Department of Education shall promulgate
rules to administer the reimbursement of tuition, registration and
other required fees for coursework completed by teachers in
accordance with the provisions of this section. The rules shall
provide for reimbursement for courses completed toward both
certification renewal and additional endorsement in a shortage
area.
(b) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
have the meanings ascribed to them:
(1) "Teacher" has the meaning provided in section one, article
one, chapter eighteen of this code.
(2) "Shortage area" shall be defined by state board policy to
indicate the subject areas for which an insufficient number of
teachers are available.
(3) "Certification" and "certificate" mean a valid West
Virginia:
(A) Professional teaching, service or administrative
certificate, or its equivalent; or
(B) Provisional professional teaching, service or
administrative certificate, or its equivalent.
(4) "Requirements for certification renewal" are those
requirements of the State Department of Education as provided in
section three of this article.
(5) "Requirements for additional endorsement" are those
requirements of the State Department of Education as provided in
section three of this article.
(6) "State institution of higher education" has the meaning
provided in section two, article one, chapter eighteen-b of this
code.
(c) To the extent of funds appropriated for the purposes
specified in this section, payment shall be made to any teacher
who:
(1) Holds either a valid West Virginia:
(A) Certificate; or
(B) First class permit for full-time employment; and
(2) Is seeking:
(A) An additional endorsement in a shortage area, and either
resides in the state or is employed regularly for instructional
purposes in a public school in the state; or
(B) Certification renewal, and has a continuing contract with
a county board.
(d) The payment shall be made as reimbursement for the
tuition, registration and other required fees for any course
completed at:
(1) Any college or university within the state; or
(2) A college or university outside the state if prior
approval is granted by the department.
(e) A course is eligible for reimbursement if it meets the
requirements for:
(1) An additional endorsement in a shortage area; or
(2) Certification renewal.
(f) If funds appropriated for the purposes specified in this section are insufficient for the reimbursement of all eligible
courses within the limits provided in this section, the West
Virginia Department of Education shall make the reimbursements for
courses for additional endorsement in a shortage area and
certification renewal in a shortage area first.
(g) Payment made for any single fee may not exceed the amount
of the highest corresponding fee charged at a state institution of
higher education.
(h) Reimbursement for courses completed toward certification
renewal is limited to fifteen semester hours of courses for any
teacher. Reimbursement for courses completed toward additional
endorsement in a shortage area is limited to fifteen semester hours
of courses for any teacher.
(i) The West Virginia Department of Education shall seek
funding from sources other than general revenue appropriation,
including, but not limited to, workforce investment funds.
(j) No provision of this section may be construed to require
any appropriation or any specific amount of appropriation for the
purposes specified in this section, or to require the department to
expend funds for those purposes from any other amounts appropriated
for expenditure by the department.