‘I-Teach’ — Legislation could help southern W.Va.

he proposed “I-Teach” legislation currently pending before Congress could provide a big assistance to rural school systems across southern West Virginia.

The legislation reintroduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., would provide a $1,000 refundable tax credit for teachers who commit to teaching in rural and disadvantaged schools.

The I-Teach legislation, which is short for Incentives to Educate America’s Children, will improve the quality of instruction for West Virginia’s students and students in rural areas nationwide, according to Rockefeller.

Under the bill, teachers who commit to teaching in rural school districts would receive a $1,000 annual refundable tax credit. The bill also calls for teachers who have national board certification — regardless of where they teach — to receive the same annual refundable tax credit.

“Every child deserves a quality education that will put them on the path to success,” Rockefeller said Tuesday. “And the truth is that some rural schools are facing a great need for teachers as they struggle to compete against school districts in higher population areas. This bill will allow rural school districts to attract and retain teachers, while also giving our hard working, dedicated teachers an incentive they very much deserve.”

The proposed legislation would specifically provide an annual $1,000 refundable tax credit for kindergarten, elementary or secondary school teachers in schools where at least 75 percent of students receive free or reduced school lunches. Teachers who agree to work in a school classified by the Department of Education as School Locale Code 7 or 8 — meaning they are located a certain distance away from a city or town — would also be eligible.

Teachers who are both nationally certified and teach in rural areas also would qualify for $2,000 in refundable tax credits annually under the proposed legislation.

More than 43 percent of all enrolled students in the Mountain State attend rural schools. A large percentage of those students are right here in southern West Virginia.

We believe the legislation as currently proposed could be helpful for school systems across southern West Virginia.

While we may not be able to compete with more affluent school districts in other parts of the Mountain State, the proposed legislation could give rural school districts across southern West Virginia a competitive edge when it comes to attracting and retaining teachers.

It is our hope that the I-Teach legislation will be advanced by the full Congress.

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