| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §13203 is enacted to read: |
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| | | §13203.__Teacher recruitment |
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| | | 1.__Teacher Recruitment Fund.__The Teacher Recruitment Fund is | | established to provide a state subsidy of up to $2,000 to a | | school administrative unit that can demonstrate the existence of | | a hard-to-fill teaching position.__Any unexpended funds remaining | | in the fund may not lapse but must be carried forward for the | | benefit of the fund. |
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| | | 2.__Fund administration.__The department shall administer the | | Teacher Recruitment Fund and shall adopt rules and eligibility | | criteria to administer the fund.__Rules adopted pursuant to this | | section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, | | chapter 375, subchapter II-A. |
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| | | Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §§13405 to 13407 are enacted to read: |
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| | | §13405.__Updated minimum salaries |
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| | | Notwithstanding section 13402, subsection 2, starting with the | | 2002-2003 school year, each school administrative unit and state- | | operated school shall establish a minimum starting salary for | | certified teachers at 1.5 times the federal poverty level for a | | family of 3, as defined in Title 22, section 3762. |
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| | | §13406.__Master's degree differential |
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| | | Each school administrative unit and state-operated school | | shall provide a salary differential of at least $2,000 to a | | certified teacher who holds a master's degree in education or a | | related field from an accredited college or university. |
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| | | §13407.__Maine Teachers Student Loan Forgiveness Program |
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| | | There is established the Maine Teachers Student Loan | | Forgiveness Program to be administered by the commissioner.__The | | program provides a student loan forgiveness incentive to | | education graduates who teach in schools in this State with an | | additional incentive for science and mathematics teachers.__The | | amount of loan forgiveness is calculated based on the number of | | years of service as a teacher in this State, up to $3,000 per | | year for loans incurred at a college or university in this State | | and up to $5,000 per year for a teacher with a master's degree or | | with a degree in science or mathematics.__The commissioner shall | | adopt rules to implement this program.__Rules adopted pursuant to |
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