Public Act 166 of 2020 Sec. 949p.

Sec. 949p.

(1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for teacher COVID-19 grants, there is allocated for 2020-2021 only an amount not to exceed $53,000,000.00 for grants to eligible K-12 classroom teachers to recognize the additional time spent outside of normal working hours and additional costs teachers have incurred or experienced to provide a continuity of learning during the period of school closure in 2019-2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(2) The department shall distribute funding allocated under this section directly to eligible classroom teachers in an equal amount up to $500.00 per FTE K-12 classroom teacher employed by the district or nonprofit nonpublic school or assigned to regularly and continuously work under contract in a public school operated by the district or in a nonprofit nonpublic school. An eligible classroom teacher that works full time and is calculated as 1.0 FTE will receive $500.00 and an eligible classroom teacher whose work time is calculated as less than 1.0 FTE shall receive that portion of the FTE applied to $500.00. The department must distribute funding allocated under this subsection as soon as is feasible.

(3) A classroom teacher eligible for funding under this section must meet all of the following: (a) Prior to the issuance of executive order 2020-35, the teacher performed at least 75% of their standard instructional workload in a brick and mortar classroom at a district or nonprofit nonpublic school. (b) After issuance of executive order 2020-35, the teacher developed tools and methods to deliver distance learning, take-home packets, or other methods described in the district or nonprofit nonpublic school’s continuity of learning plan. (c) The teacher certifies to the district, in a manner prescribed by the department, that he or she worked additional time spent outside of normal working hours, experienced hazardous conditions, or incurred additional costs related to ensuring students could effectively participate in their school’s continuity of learning plan.

(4) Districts and nonprofit nonpublic schools shall provide to the department of treasury a list of eligible classroom teachers including their residency address on file.

(5) Districts and nonprofit nonpublic schools shall maintain documentation of classroom teacher eligibility under subsection (3).

(6) If funds allocated under this section are insufficient to award the amount in subsection (2) to each of the eligible classroom teachers, the department shall reduce the grant on an equal per full-time and part-time prorated equated classroom teacher basis.

(7) The department may retain up to 1/2 of 1% of the total funding under this section for administration of this section.

(8) As used in this section: (a) “Classroom teacher” means a full-time or part-time teacher with an assigned class who provided continuity of learning to students during the 2019-2020 period of school closure that resulted from COVID-19. For the purposes of this section, classroom teacher does not include substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, or administrators. (b) “District” means a local school district as that term is defined in section 6 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.6, or a public school academy as that term is defined in section 5 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5. (c) “Regularly and continuously work under contract” means that term as defined in section 1230e of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1230e.