MS HB1458

Establishes the Assistant Teacher Salary Waiver Grant Program administered by the State Board of Education to help eligible assistant teachers become licensed teachers.

Provides grants equal to the minimum annual assistant teacher salary (currently $17,000) for up to two academic years; grants fund tuition, books, and instructional materials at regionally accredited Mississippi institutions.

Requires applicants to have five years full-time classroom experience, be within two years of completing a baccalaureate degree, maintain a 2.5 GPA, pass the Praxis Core examination, and commit in writing to teach in-state.

Obligates grant recipients to begin teaching as licensed teachers in their original or State Board-designated school district upon degree completion; those failing to fulfill teaching obligations owe repayment of all grants plus 5% penalty and interest at Federal Stafford loan rates.

Requires the State Board of Education to report annually to the Legislature by December 31 on vacant teacher positions statewide and the number of positions filled by educators holding provisional or emergency licenses.