A Northern Kentucky lawmaker wants the state to fund teacher recruitment awards and student teacher stipends to help address the state’s public school teacher shortage.
Retired educator Rep. Kim Banta (R-Fort Mitchell) is the lead sponsor of House Bill 377 – a proposal to establish a teacher recruitment student loan forgiveness pilot program and student teacher stipend program addressing what the bill calls a teacher shortage “emergency” facing the state. House Appropriations and Revenue committee chair Rep. Jason Petrie (R-Elkton), who oversees budget matters in the House, is a primary cosponsor of Banta’s bill.
Funding for recruitment awards and stipends established in HB 377 is already included in the House budget bill (HB 6), passed 77-19 on Feb. 1. That budget proposal is now pending in the Senate, which will negotiate a final budget with the House prior to April 15 – the last day of the 2024 annual legislative session.
HB 377 is the framework for how funds in the House budget would be spent, House Education committee chair Rep. James Tipton (R-Taylorsville) said before his committee voted out the bill Feb. 6 with 18 “yes” votes and one “pass” vote from Rep. Felicia Rabourn (R-Pendleton).
Recruitment awards under HB 377 would go to students who are actively enrolled in a teacher certification program or who have declared a teaching major, with participants receiving up to $5,000 per semester or summer term (or up to $2,500 for those not yet actively enrolled in teacher certification program) in exchange for one year of teaching in a Kentucky public school, once certified.
How many awards are given would ultimately depend on available funding, with first consideration given to “eligible applicants who previously received teacher recruitment awards,” the bill says.
The awards are meant to “assist teachers with student debt” according to HB 6, which as of now includes $4.8 million this fiscal year and $10 million next fiscal year to fund the initiative through fiscal year 2026.
If someone who signs up for the program doesn’t become a teacher, Banta told the House Education committee on Feb. 6 that money awarded will convert into a loan – not a bill for immediate repayment.
Student teacher stipends of up to $5,000 per semester would also be allowed, with $14.6 million included in the House budget bill to cover the cost. The stipends would be set aside for students beginning this fall, the bill says, “to reduce financial barriers to students in completing educator preparation programs and entering the educator workforce.”
To give lawmakers an idea of how effective the stipends are, the state agency (Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority) responsible for awarding both the recruitment awards and stipends would have to report on the utilization of the program – including the number of students eligible for stipends versus the number of recipients, and where those students call home.
Rep. Tina Bojanowski (D-Louisville), who is a Jefferson County public school teacher, said at the Feb. 6 committee hearing that she appreciates Banta including the study in the bill.
The legislation follows data released last year that shows a “severe” shortage of Kentucky teachers and school employees due to pay and other issues after 10.9% of teachers left the classroom in 2023, according to a Kentucky Center for Economic Policy article in November. Of those teachers who did return, 16.7% left their districts and 20% left their schools.
At the same time, there are “fewer people (applying) for teaching jobs and entering teacher training programs,” according to a 2023 legislative Office of Education Accountability classified and certified school staffing study cited by the center.
Pay is a big reason teachers consider leaving their profession, the center reported, with starting pay for some teachers at $34,004. Beginning salaries for teachers in Ohio, by comparison, is $37,569, according to policymattersohio.org.
Kentucky is also struggling to find substitute teachers. Last Wednesday, the House voted 88-4 for HB 387 to help remedy a shortage of subs in some public schools. Should it become law, HB 387 would allow adults with a high school diploma or GED to receive emergency certification as a substitute teacher for up to one year.
Currently, a minimum of 64 hours of college credit and a 2.5 minimum college grade point average is required to become certified to work as a substitute in the state’s public schools. HB 387 lead sponsor Rep. Timmy Truett (R-McKee) said changing the requirement would help districts that are struggling.
“I know most districts may not need this bill, but I know one close to my heart that does,” Truett said before Wednesday’s vote according to Spectrum News 1. “This would allow us to get more qualified people in the buildings to work in an area where we know there’s already a shortage.”
Rebecca Hanchett is LINK nky’s Frankfort correspondent. You can reach her at rhanchett@linknky.com