Awards for teachers with National Board Certification.

Sec. 27m. (1) Subject to the provisions in this subsection, and in addition to the funds appropriated in section 11, from the state school aid fund, there is appropriated and allocated an amount not to exceed $2,500,000.00 to districts and intermediate districts to fund financial awards to eligible teachers who hold National Board Certification. The appropriation and allocation under this subsection is contingent on the effective issuance of a directive by the budget director, pursuant to section 451a of the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1451a, to lapse the remaining funding from a work project that was established under this section in 2023-2024. The amount allocated under this subsection may not exceed the amount lapsed from the work project referenced in the immediately preceding sentence. (2) A district or intermediate district must apply in a form and manner determined by the department. Awards must be granted as $4,000.00 to all eligible teachers who hold National Board Certification, and an additional $6,000.00 for eligible teachers who hold National Board Certification and serve in Title I schools. (3) The department shall grant awards under this section on a first-come, first-served basis. An eligible teacher shall not receive more than 1 award in a single fiscal year. (4) The funds allocated under this section for 2026-2027 are a work project appropriation, and any unexpended funds for 2026-2027 are carried forward into 2027-2028. The purpose of the work project is to enable and encourage teachers to get National Board Certification. The estimated completion date of the work project is September 30, 2029. (5) The funds appropriated under this section are 1-time bonus payments. Pursuant to section 3a(3) of the public school employees retirement act of 1979, 1980 PA 300, MCL 38.1303a, these payments are not considered compensation for retirement purposes and are not subject to member or employer contribution requirements under the Michigan public school employees' retirement system (MPSERS). (6) As used in this section, "eligible teacher" includes individuals who hold a valid or expired Michigan teaching certificate and are employed by the district or intermediate district as teachers, including those in teacher leadership roles as a peer assistance and review coach, mentor, or other teacher support provider if the position does not require a school administrator certificate.