HB 2632 Summary

• Establishes the Arizona Teacher Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program as a partnership between Arizona Board of Regents universities and participating school districts to train future teachers and support current teachers pursuing graduate degrees.

• Provides annual stipends of $5,000 to undergraduate junior/senior students in teaching fellows programs for up to five years (two years in program plus three years of employment), with the third-year stipend at least double the first-year amount.

• Offers annual $5,000 stipends to current school district employees pursuing master's or doctoral degrees for up to three years through the teaching fellows program.

• Requires stipend recipients to execute contracts obligating them to serve as full-time teachers in Arizona for one year per year of stipend received, with provisions for repayment with 7% interest plus penalties if obligations are not fulfilled.

• Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state general fund in fiscal year 2019-2020 to the stipend fund and sunsets the program on July 1, 2026.