125th MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 1781 LR 2635(04)
An Act To Restructure the National Board Certification Program for Teachers
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment "   " to Committee Amendment "A"
Sponsor: Sen. Rosen of Hancock
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 ($406,720) ($291,720) ($196,720)
Appropriations/Allocations
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 ($307,500) ($304,500) ($304,000)
Revenue
General Fund $0 $406,720 $291,720 $196,720
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 ($406,720) ($291,720) ($196,720)
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This amendment reduces the amount of General Fund revenue to be transferred to the National Board Certification Salary Supplement Fund by $406,720 in fiscal year 2012-13, $291,720 in fiscal year 2013-14 and $196,720 in fiscal year 2014-15.
The amendment provides that only the additional funding estimated to be needed to support the scholarship provisions and the salary supplements to eligible teachers who attain certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards beyond the $307,551 currently allocated as a miscellaneous cost within the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program General Fund account be paid with revenue collected from teacher certification fees.    
As amended, the bill will result in decreases in General Fund revenue of $200,000 in fiscal year 2012-13, $315,000 in fiscal year 2013-14 and $410,000 in fiscal year 2014-14 and corresponding increases in dedicated revenue of the same amounts.  As amended, this 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 $200,000 in fiscal year 2012-13.  Of that amount, $150,000 is allocated to the National Board Certification Salary Supplement Fund for the additional costs of providing 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.