SENATE BILL NO. 995

A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled

"The state school aid act of 1979,"

by amending section 27c (MCL 388.1627c), as amended by 2024 PA 120.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 27c. (1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated $30,000,000.00 for 2024-2025 and from the educator fellowship public provider fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated $20,000,000.00 for 2024-2025 for the MI future educator student teacher stipend program. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the funds allocated under this section must be paid to eligible educator preparation programs for payments to eligible student teachers working in a district or a qualifying public preschool program in this state. At the close of the fiscal year, state school aid fund money allocated under this section that is unspent must be deposited into the educator fellowship public provider fund in section 27d.

(2) An eligible student teacher under this subsection must meet all of the following:

(a) The individual must be admitted to an eligible educator preparation program, be working toward a teacher certification, be participating in required student teaching coursework, and be maintaining satisfactory academic progress. As used in this subdivision, "required student teaching coursework" means credit hours, or the program equivalent, required by an eligible educator preparation program for successful completion of the program. This coursework must include regular placement in a district or a qualifying public preschool program in this state where the student gains real-world, first-hand experience working in a classroom, teaching students, engaging in the day-to-day activities of a certified teacher, and working daily under the guidance of a certified teacher.

(b) The individual must timely complete an application in a form and manner prescribed by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential. The application must include the district or the qualifying public preschool program in this state in which the individual is working as a student teacher and must include a certification by the district or the qualifying public preschool program in this state and the individual's eligible educator preparation program that the student is working as a student teacher. If the individual's eligible educator preparation program is not provided by a public institution of higher education, the district or the qualifying public preschool program in this state in which the individual is working must also provide an assurance that they will forward any amount received under this section from the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential for purposes of the program described in this section to the individual's eligible educator preparation program.

(c) The individual must not have received a payment from funds under this subsection previously, unless the individual is enrolled in an eligible educator preparation program that requires multiple semesters of student teaching.

(d) If an individual is employed by their district or qualifying public preschool program in this state as a teacher of record, they are not eligible for payment under this section.

(e) An individual that is a current City Year corps member enrolled in an eligible educator preparation program is eligible for payment under this section.

(3) The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall pay each eligible educator preparation program an amount not to exceed $9,600.00 per academic semester for each eligible student teacher working in a district or a qualifying public preschool program in this state. If the individual's eligible educator preparation program is not provided by a public institution of higher education, the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall pay an amount not to exceed $9,600.00 per academic semester to the district or the qualifying public preschool program in this state in which the individual is working as a student teacher, and that district or qualifying public preschool program in this state must forward the amount received to the individual's eligible educator preparation program. If funding allocated under this section is insufficient to fully fund all eligible student teachers, the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall first award funding for eligible student teachers who are also Pell grant recipients and then shall distribute funding in the order in which applications were received. It is intended that payments under this subsection are made at the beginning of the semester in 1 lump sum for eligible student teachers.

(4) Eligible educator preparation programs shall pay funds received under this section, in entirety, to the eligible student teacher.

(5) Notwithstanding section 17b, the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall make payments under this section on a schedule determined by the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential.

(6) If the amount allocated in subsection (1) is insufficient to fully fund awards under this section, there is appropriated from the educator fellowship public provider fund in section 27d the amount necessary to fully fund the programs described in this section. The state budget director shall notify the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on K to 12 school aid and the house and senate fiscal agencies of any additional appropriation described in this subsection.

(7) As used in this section, "eligible educator preparation program" means an institution of higher education that meets all of the following:

(a) Is a public or private institution of higher education in this state.

(b) Has an established school of education with an educator preparation program approved by the department.

(c) Has not been deemed as ineligible to receive Michigan achievement scholarship funding under section 248 as a result of exceeding tuition restraint requirements described in section 248.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect October 1, 2024.