125th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1781		LR 2635(02)
	An Act To Restructure the National Board Certification Program for Teachers
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "   "
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2011-12	FY 2012-13	Projections  FY 2013-14	Projections  FY 2014-15
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$0	$606,720	$606,720	$606,720
Appropriations/Allocations
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$507,500	$619,500	$714,000
Revenue
	General Fund		$0	($606,720)	($606,720)	($606,720)
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$606,720	$606,720	$606,720
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	Providing that salary supplements to eligible teachers who attain certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards be paid with revenue collected from teacher certification renewal fees will result in an estimated decrease in General Fund revenue of approximately $606,720 per year beginning in fiscal year 2012-13 and a corresponding increase in dedicated revenue of the same amount.  This estimate is based on the average revenue received from teacher certification renewal fees from fiscal year 2006-07 through fiscal year 2010-2011.  It appears that revenues generated from teacher certification renewal fees will be sufficient to cover the costs of the salary supplements through fiscal year 2013-14.  However, a fee increase may be required beginning in fiscal year 2014-15 to fully fund this initiative.
	The bill establishes the National Board Certification Scholarship Fund and the National Board Certification Salary Supplement Fund as dedicated funds within the Department of Education and provides Other Special Revenue Funds allocations totaling $507,500 in fiscal year 2012-13.  Of that amount, $457,500 is allocated to the National Board Certification Salary Supplement Fund for the cost of providing the salary supplements to an estimated 183 certified teachers at $2,500 each and $50,000 is allocated to the National Board Certification Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships for the first 20 teachers accepted into the national teacher board certification program.  The salary supplement amount increases to $2,750 in fiscal year 2013-14 and $3,000 in fiscal year 2014-15.  Beginning in fiscal year 2012-14, the amount allocated to the Scholarship Fund increases to $75,000 per year and the number of teachers who can receive scholarship funds increases to a maximum of 30 teachers.
	This legislation provides that, beginning in fiscal year 2012-13, certified teachers from publicly supported secondary schools are also eligible to receive the salary supplement, along with public school teachers.  This fiscal note assumes an increase of approximately 25 certified teachers from the fiscal year 2011-12 level of 158, to reflect both those certified teachers from publicly supported secondary schools becoming eligible for the salary supplement and an increase in the number of public school teachers who have become certified.  The fiscal note also assumes that the number of additional teachers who will qualify for the salary supplement will increase by 15 per year beginning in fiscal year 2013-14.