Education Funding

Funding Level Divides Legislators, Districts

By Andrew Trotter — June 12, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The following offers highlights of the recent legislative sessions. Precollegiate enrollment figures are based on fall 2006 data reported by state officials for public elementary and secondary schools. The figures for precollegiate education spending do not include federal flow-through funds, unless noted.

South Dakota

Increases in school funding by the South Dakota legislature this winter did little to dampen complaints by school districts that education remains underfunded in the state.

Gov. Michael Rounds
Republican
Senate:
15 Democrats
20 Republicans
House:
20 Democrats
50 Republicans
Enrollment:
120,278

Though lawmakers hiked the state’s formula aid for schools by $23.7 million, a 3.8 percent increase, for fiscal 2008, education groups argued that the actual increase will be lower because the legislature did not renew $6.5 million in “one-time” budget money that it gave to school districts last year.

They point out that the state’s teachers are paid the least in the nation—$34,039 on average, compared with the national average of $47,602—according to a national salary survey released by the American Federation of Teachers in March.

About 70 school districts are suing the state, contending that its funding system is inadequate and violates the state constitution.

For 2008, the K-12 budget totals $386.8 million, or 34 percent of the overall state budget of $1.14 billion.

In addition to the state formula, the budget includes other special funding that legislators directed toward K-12 education in the 2007 legislative session, which ended in mid-March, such as a matching program for teacher-compensation assistance, proposed by Gov. Michael Rounds, a Republican, and authorized at $4 million annually for five years. Eligible purposes include signing bonuses or compensating teachers for attending professional-development programs or working on the curriculum.

Gov. Rounds also approved a measure requiring consolidation of school districts in 2009 that do not enroll a minimum of 100 students, with exceptions for districts in “sparse” areas.

Another bill backed by Gov. Rounds requires students to stay in school until age 18, unless they have graduated from high school.

Lawmakers also approved the creation of a state virtual school, which will offer school districts and students more than 60 classes by next fall.

See Also

See other stories on education issues in South Dakota. See data on South Dakota’s public school system.

For more stories on this topic see Finance.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the June 13, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by Boys Town
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding Gun Violence Takes a Toll. We Need More Support, Principals Tell Congress
At a congressional roundtable, school leaders made an emotional appeal for more funds to help schools recover from gun violence.
5 min read
Principals from the Principals Recovery Network address lawmakers on the long-term effects of gun violence on Sept. 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Principals address Democratic members of Congress on the long-term effects of gun violence on Sept. 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of Oversight Committee Democrats Press Office
Education Funding ESSER Is Ending. Which Investments Accomplished the Most?
Districts have until Sept. 30 to commit their last round of federal COVID aid to particular expenses.
11 min read
Illustration of falling or declining money with a frustrated man in a suit standing on the edge of a cliff the shape of an arrow dollar sign.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Funding Explainer How One Grant Can Help Schools Recover From Shootings
Schools can leverage a little-known emergency grant to recover from violence or a natural disaster. Here’s how.
9 min read
Broken piggy bank with adhesive bandage on the table
iStock/Getty
Education Funding A Funding Lifeline for Rural Schools Is at Risk, and Not for the First Time
Rural schools near national forests rely on dedicated federal funds. But so far, lawmakers haven't renewed them.
7 min read
School bus on rural route, Owens Valley, CA.
iStock/Getty