8VAC20-650-20: Establishing critical shortage areas

A. Each school board shall report to the Department of Education annually the number and type of teacher, other instructional personnel, and support staff vacancies in the school division.

B. Utilize the data collected through the annual survey to establish critical teacher shortage areas as follows:

1. Shortages by subject matter will be designated from the top 10 academic disciplines identified as having shortages through the superintendent's annual survey of school divisions.

2. In addition to the top 10 academic disciplines identified statewide, school divisions may designate a subject area as having a shortage if the school division receives three or fewer qualified candidates (licensed or eligible for a license) for any teaching vacancy for that subject area.

3. Any Virginia school division, including rural or urban school divisions, where 10% of the teachers are not fully licensed for their teaching assignment may be designated as a geographic critical shortage area.

C. For the purpose of administering the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program, an individual may meet the teaching obligation, regardless of teaching discipline, by agreeing to teach in a school with a high concentration (50% or more) of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.