A new bill could change what determines increases in teacher salaries in hopes of retaining teachers.

The Indiana General Assembly created the STEM Teacher Recruitment Fund in 2013. This year's grants will help fund special training for the teachers in the STEM subjects, dual credit credentials, mentoring programs and retain teachers.

Legislators will gather at the Statehouse for Monday's meeting of an education panel that's been gathering input on potential solutions to the state's drop in the number of teaching licenses issued.

As schools reopen across the U.S., some regions are having trouble finding enough teachers to fill vacancies. But others see a big disconnect between training and the needs of districts.

Indy Metro Church gave the money Sunday to teachers in the Indianapolis Public Schools during the downtown church's "Back to School Sunday" service.

The Indiana Department of Education issued licenses to about 5,599 teachers in 2009-10, and in '13-14 that number sat closer to 4,500.