Adds to existing law to enact the Idaho Rural Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act to create an incentive program to place teachers in rural schools.

The legislation creates a Rural Teacher Pipeline Initiative to help address the critical teacher shortage in Idaho's rural school districts. It includes research-based strategies being used in many other states to address teacher recruitment and retention. The Grow Your Own program would require a partnership between the State Department of Education, the State Board of Education and a local rural school district to provide funding for a paraprofessional or classified staff member in the district to cover the cost of earning their teaching certificate through an approved course of study. In exchange for payment of tuition, the individual would commit to work in the same school or district for three (3) years after completion. The Rural Teacher FellowshipwouldcreateateacherfellowshipprogramforupperdivisionstudentsenrolledinanIdahopublic postsecondary teacher preparation program who commit to teach in a rural school or district for three (3) years following completion of the fellowship. The Department of Education would identify geographic areas within the state and specific content areas where shortages exist. The program would provide up to $10,000 to each fellow to use for costs of attendance during the fellowship. The Certification and Retention Bonus would provide a $6,000 stipend for teachers or other professional providers in a rural district who are pursuing additional education or another certification to address a hard-to-fill need in a rural school. The stipend could be used to complete the required course work leading to certification or an alternative path to licensure. Individuals receiving the stipend would commit to teaching in the specific district for three (3) years. These programs would be administered by the State Department of Education in coordination with the State Board of Education. Each program will be prioritized based on schools or districts experiencing a teacher shortage in a grade level or content area. The legislation includes an effec