Section 14.20.225 - Teacher incentive payments and reimbursement of costs relating to national board certification(a) In January of each year, a district or the department, as applicable, may pay an incentive payment of $5,000 to each teacher who is employed by the district or the department and who holds a current and valid national board certification.(b) A district or the department, as applicable, shall reimburse each teacher who is employed by the district or the department and who is pursuing an initial national board certification or renewal of a national board certification for the costs the teacher has paid to a nationally recognized board in pursuing or renewing the certification, including the costs of course materials, registration, and testing. The district or the department, as applicable, shall reimburse the teacher on an ongoing basis for the costs incurred by the teacher and not later than 60 days after the teacher makes a request for reimbursement.(c) The department shall provide sufficient funding, subject to appropriation and in addition to the state aid received under AS 14.17, to a district to make national board certification incentive and reimbursement payments as provided in this section.(d) Nothing in this section prohibits a district or the department from providing additional monetary incentives to a teacher.(e) In this section,(1) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990;(2) "national board certification" means individual achievement of national professional teaching standards as certified by a nationally recognized board.Added by SLA 2024, ch. 36,sec. 2, eff. 7/1/2024, app. to a contract or collective bargaining agreement that becomes legally binding on or after 7/1/2024 and to costs a teacher incurs on or after 7/1/2024.