(a) Financial awards may be provided to the schools that the director determines have demonstrated the greatest improvement in achievement gap closure, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and any limitation set by the director on the total amount that may be awarded to a school or local school system.

(b) Financial awards may be provided to each school that is identified by the director for performance in student achievement or student progress. The certificated personnel in a school that is identified by the director as either a best performing school or better performing school in either or both categories may be provided a bonus for the year the school was identified of $1,000.00 for each best performing school designation and $500.00 for each better performing school designation. The maximum individual annual bonus for certificated personnel shall not exceed $2,000.00 and shall be provided subject to appropriation by the General Assembly or as otherwise may be provided. An additional financial award may be provided to each school for noncertificated personnel in the amount of $10,000.00 for each designation of best performing school and $5,000.00 for each designation of better performing school, provided that the total lump sum noncertificated personnel award for an individual school shall not exceed $20,000.00; provided, further, that funds for this purpose are appropriated by the General Assembly or as otherwise may be provided. The school receiving this noncertificated personnel award shall determine the distribution of the award among such personnel of its school.

(c) The Governor may present proclamations or certificates to schools and school systems determined to have met or exceeded the state's education goals under Code Section 20-14-30.