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_ 168 Item Details($) Appropriations($) ITEM 124. First Year Second Year First Year Second Year FY2025 FY2026 FY2025 FY2026 D. An additional state payment of $145,896 the first year and $145,896 the second year from the general fund is provided as a Small School Division Assistance grant for the City of Norton. To receive these funds, the local school board shall certify to the Superintendent of Public Instruction that its division has entered into one or more educational, administrative or support service cost-sharing arrangements with another local school division. E. Out of this appropriation, $498,021 the first year and $498,021 the second year from the general fund shall be allocated for the Career and Technical Education Resource Center to provide vocational curriculum and resource instructional materials free of charge to all school divisions. F.1. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Department of Education provide bonuses from state funds to classroom teachers in Virginia's public schools who have obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and grants for candidates working in a Title I school or a school eligible for participation in the Community Eligibility Provision pursuant to § 22.1-207.4:1 who are candidates for initial national certification or maintenance of national certification (MOC) from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This appropriation includes an amount estimated at $4,997,500 the first year and $4,997,500 the second year from the general fund for the purpose of paying these bonuses and grants. The Board shall establish procedures for determining amounts of awards if the moneys are not sufficient to award each eligible teacher the appropriate award amount. 2. Any public school staff member who has obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall be eligible to receive an initial grant award of $5,000 and a subsequent award of $2,500 each year for the life of the certificate. 3. Any candidate (i) working in a Title 1 school or a school eligible for participation in the Community Eligibility Provision pursuant to § 22.1-207.4:1 and (ii) who is pursuing initial national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is eligible to apply to the Department for a grant to cover (a) half of the total initial national certification fee, equal to the sum of the cost of the four components and the registration fee for initial national certification, to be disbursed upon initial registration for such certification and (b) the remaining half of such total initial national certification fee to be disbursed upon successful achievement of initial national certification as verified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. 4. Any candidate (i) working in a Title 1 school or a school eligible for participation in the Community Eligibility Provision pursuant to § 22.1-207.4:1 and (ii) who is pursuing MOC from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is eligible to apply to the Department for an incentive grant to cover the total MOC fee, equal to the sum of the cost of MOC and the registration fee for MOC, to be disbursed upon successful completion of the MOC process as verified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. 5. By October 15 of each year, school divisions shall notify the Department of Education of the number of eligible candidates under contract for that school year that hold or are pursuing such certification. G. This appropriation includes $2,281,000 the first year and $2,281,000 the second year from the general fund for grants, scholarships, and incentive payments to attract, recruit, and retain high-quality teachers and fill critical teacher shortage disciplines in Virginia's public schools. 1. Out of this appropriation, $708,000 the first year and $708,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for teaching scholarship loans. These scholarships shall be for undergraduate students in college with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent, who are nominated by their Virginia regionally accredited college or university, and who meet the criteria and qualifications, pursuant to § 22.1-290.01, Code of Virginia, except as provided herein. Awards shall be made to students who are enrolled full- time or part-time in approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education programs for the top ten critical teacher shortage disciplines, however minority students may be enrolled in any content area for teacher preparation. Upon program completion, scholarship recipients may fulfill the scholarship loan obligation by teaching in the public schools of the Commonwealth in the first full academic year after becoming eligible for a renewable teaching license in the appropriate endorsement area and teaching for at least two years in a school division (i) in one