Students who are sixteen years or older wouldn't have to attend public schools if they are working toward a GED, according to legislation introduced in the South Dakota Senate.

Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, is the prime sponsor of SB 126, a measure that provides an exemption to a law passed two years ago that requires students to stay in school until age 18 or the student graduates.

Some educators and lawmakers have expressed concern about the new compulsory attendance law, suggesting that it places an unworkable mandate on to local schools.

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School districts wouldn't be able to send busses into a neighboring district without the consent of the neighboring school board, according to a measure introduced in the House of Representatives.

House Bill 1235 changes a current open enrollment law that allows a school to cross district boundary lines to pick up students open enrolling from another district.

If the measure passes, a school district would have the authority to regulate the route of any busses transporting students within their district, even if the bus is the property of another school system.

The measure is sponsored by Rep. Brock Greenfield, R-Clark.

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A legislative proposal that would close approximately 35 school districts will be up for consideration as early as Monday.

According to HB 1182, school districts with enrollments below 195 would be forced to prepare a consolidation plan within two years of dipping below the enrollment threshold. It's sponsored by Representative Jim Bolin, a teacher from Canton.

The current minimum districts size, established in 2007, is 100 students.

ASBSD opposes the legislation based on our standing position that reorganization must be voluntary.

The bill is scheduled for House Education on Monday, but may not get a hearing that day. If it passes, it must go to the House floor and make its way through the Senate before becoming law.

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Public school advocates and administrators urged lawmakers Friday to keep additional state aid for districts with enrollment fluctuations, saying the funding is necessary to stabilize district budgets.

Members of House Education took testimony on HB 1067, a measure that would eliminate increasing enrollment aid and end enrollment averaging for districts losing students, but delayed final action on the legislation until a later date.

Jim Terwilliger, a staffer in the Governor's Bureau of Finance and Management was the only proponent of the legislation. Eliminating the provisions would save the state $6.8 million and is part of the Governor's plan to balance the FY10 budget.

“We all know the budget is in a difficult situation,” Terwilliger said. “If you add this back in, we're going to be dipping into the budget reserve fund.”

ASBSD joined a parade of opponents who asked lawmakers to maintain funding for increasing and decreasing enrollment.

ASBSD lobbyist Dick Tieszen reminded lawmakers of a two-year study of school finance that led to a host of reforms passed in 2007. That legislation added increasing and decreasing enrollment aid, but also included cuts to small school funding and forced consolidation for school districts.

Tieszen cautioned lawmakers that passing HB 1067 would mean they've taken away the positive aspects of the 2007 legislation, leaving only the negative reforms.

“This was important part of a larger package passed in 2007,” Tieszen said (read ASBSD's testimony).

The School Administrators of South Dakota, the South Dakota Education Association and a lobbyist for 11 large schools also testified against the legislation.

Two school superintendents also travelled to Pierre to testify how the loss of the funds would impact their districts.

Parker Superintendent Shayne McIntosh told lawmakers that declining enrollment aid provides a cushion for his district, allowing Parkston to make gradual budget cuts and reduce staff through attrition.

McIntosh also told lawmakers that school district revenue is declining from several sources, including bank franchise tax and apportionment from the Office of School and Public Lands. The fluctuation in state revenue makes it difficult to budget, he said.

Harrisburg Superintendent Jim Holbeck provided legislators with perspective from districts with significantly increasing districts.

“In a school district that always grows, we never catch up,” Holbeck said, telling lawmakers that in some situations his district doesn't receive funding for students until a year and a half after the student arrives.

“I have to hire teachers now,” he said.

The School Administrators of South Dakota, the South Dakota Education Association and a lobbyist for 11 large schools also testified against the legislation.

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Lawmakers rejected an attempt Thursday to lower the compulsory attendance age to 18.

Sen. Gordon Howie, R-Rapid City, asked members of Senate Education to pass SB 87, a measure that would have allowed students to drop out of high school after turning 16.

According to Sen. Howie, requiring 17- and 18-year-olds to stay in school amounts to “incarceration.” If students don't want to be in school, they will be a disruption to the other students who want to learn.

A parade of opponents, including ASBSD, countered that notion, saying the decision to raise the compulsory attendance was a meaningful policy statement.

“Compulsory attendance to age 18 will require some adjustment at the local level, but we ultimately believe it will challenge our education system to meet the needs of every student,” said ASBSD Executive Director Dr. Wayne Lueders, who compared the law to the federal No Child Left Behind Act (read ASBSD's testimony here).

School board members adopted a resolution last November that supports compulsory attendance to age 18. ASBSD also supported the policy when it was put in place.

Joining ASBSD in opposition was the Department of Education, the South Dakota Education Association, the Sioux Falls School District and Diana Millier, a lobbyist representing 11 school districts.

Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, opposed the legislation, saying he will offer a better solution later in session. He said it would be a better idea to allow students to leave high school if they are enrolled in a plan to earn a GED.

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Lawmakers supported defining and funding sparse school districts, unanimously approving SB 88during a Senate Education Committee hearing Thursday.

Passing the legislation goes against Gov. Rounds' FY10 budget plans, which included $2.3 million in cuts for school districts serving sparsely populated areas.

Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, voted in favor of the change. He said sparsity funding was added after at two-year study of education funding in South Dakota and it needs to continue.

“There really are no other options for these sparse schools,” Sen. Knudson said.

According to Sen. Knudson, the state should adhere to the host of K-12 formula adjustments that were made in 2007 following a two-year study of education funding. That means keeping sparsity and aid to districts with fluctuating enrollments.

Sen. Knudson also said he knows lawmakers are trying to fund sparsity through other cuts to K-12 funding.

“I think that's the way of madness,” Sen. Knudson said.

School superintendents from Faith, McIntosh and Bison made the trip to testify in support of the legislation, telling lawmakers that eliminating the aid would leave gaping holes in their district budgets.

“In our situation, when we'd have an 11 percent general fund cut,” said Mel Dutton, superintendent in Faith. “It's a matter of necessity,” he added.

The district has 18 certified staff and Dutton said Faith runs a very lean K-12 program, providing only what's required for district accreditation.

“Where are we going to cut?” he asked lawmakers before pointing out that the district has already passed a local opt-out that brings in $175,000 a year.

Superintendents outlined how sparsity payments enable rural districts to provide an education to students scattered across vast areas of South Dakota. The administrators were joined in support of the legislation by various education advocacy groups, including ASBSD.

ASBSD Executive Director Wayne Lueders stressed the need to continue sparsity funding, but also reminded lawmakers that SB 88 was necessary to protect rural districts from forced consolidation.

Lueders said the state's mandatory consolidation law, passed in 2007, included an exemption for sparse school districts – a provision that would be eliminated if sparsity laws were allowed to sunset (read ASBSD's testimony on SB 88).

School Administrators of South Dakota, the South Dakota Education Association and the Sioux Falls School District also testified in support of the legislation.

A member of Gov. Rounds' administration provided the only opposition to the bill. The Governor's staff said that sparse schools got by with the money before it was installed and that the only financial burden placed on sparse schools is the added cost of transportation.

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Lawmakers have filed legislation to allow payments to sparse school districts to continue.

Senate Education Chair Cooper Garnos, R-Presho, and Rep. Kent Juhnke, R-Vivian, are prime sponsors for SB 88, a measure that would eliminate the sunset clause originally put into the 2006 legislation that created sparsity funding.

Senate Bill 88 serves two purposes. Not only will the bill trigger critically important sparsity payments for the state's most rural schools, the legislation also ensures districts serving sparsely populated areas won't be forced to consolidate.

South Dakota's minimum enrollment law, established in 2007, exempts sparse schools from the 100 student enrollment floor. If the law is allowed to sunset, the exemption goes away, essentially shutting K-12 education out of the state's most rural areas.

The bill is scheduled for debate tomorrow.

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Brandon Valley Superintendent Dave Pappone talks with KELO news about the U.S. Stimulus making its way through Congress (see an overview here). Pappone says that funding from IDEA will help offset Gov. Rounds' proposal to freeze K-12 special education funding.

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State lawmakers will revisit a state law aimed at improving South Dakota's drop-out rate.

Sen. Gordon Howie, R-Rapid City, and Rep. Chuck Turbiville, R-Deadwood, are prime sponsors for SB 87, a measure that would repeal state law that requires South Dakota students to stay in school until age 18.

The law, passed in 2007, raised the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18. The move was an integral part of Gov. Rounds 2010 Education Initiative and was intended to increase the number of students that move on to post-secondary education. Unless lawmakers decide otherwise, the law will go into effect on July 1, 2009.

Prior to session, Sen. Howie said he would move to repeal the law. He says the law places an unfunded mandate on local school districts and causes problems because it keeps students in school who don't want to be there.

ASBSD is opposed to the legislation. During the November ASBSD Delegate Assembly, school board members passed a resolution supporting the implementation of the law.

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Lawmakers have introduced legislation allowing state and local governments to take advantage of technology to publish legal notices and meeting minutes.

According to HB 1135, the state and political subdivisions will be given the option to designate a web site as an official repository for public notices, minutes, bids or anything legally required to be published in newspapers.

School districts wouldn't be required to publish the notices online. Internet posting would be permissible in addition to, or instead of, publication in the local newspaper.

The flexibility could save the state's school districts several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Larger school districts reportedly spend $50,000 annually to publish meeting notices in local newspapers.

The legislation has been introduced before, but has been defeated. Historically, the state's newspapers have strongly opposed the change, claiming it would be a blow to open government.

UPDATE: Perhaps South Dakota is ready for this discussion – assuming there should be no “sacred cows” when navigating budget issues. For more, read this editorial from the Aberdeen American news.

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School districts may be able to pay insurance, energy and transportation costs using capital outlay dollars - a change that could free-up resources in cash-strapped general funds.

Sen. Russell Olson, R-Madison, and Rep. Kim Vanneman, R-Ideal, are prime sponsors on SB 91, a measure that will allow individual school districts the option to spend up to 45 percent of capital outlay revenue to pay for property insurance, casualty insurance, fuel, utilities, energy cots and contract bus services.

According to the legislation, schools only qualify for the spending authority if the district's capital outlay levy is less than or equal to the district's levy in the 2007-08 school year. Districts will lose the option in fiscal year 2015.

Originally, the capital outlay levy was intended to allow school districts to acquire land, build or renovate buildings and purchase equipment. It has since been expanded to allow school districts to reimburse parents for transportation costs and to purchase textbooks, instructional software and warranties.

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Senate Appropriations and Finance Committees are scheduled to consider economic stimulus legislation on Tuesday, January 27, at 10:30 a.m. Please contact your senators who are members of the Appropriations and Finance Committees to urge their strong support and vote in favor of the economic stimulus legislation.

Visit NSBA's Legislative Action Center for background, speaking points, and a sample letter to send to your Senator.

The Senate's Appropriations Committee's proposal for the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” would provide funding for K-12 education programs, including school infrastructure repairs and modernization ($16 billion), Title I grants for disadvantaged students ($13 billion), special education ($13 billion), and education stabilization/fiscal relief (at least $39 billion).

The Senate Finance Committee's legislative provisions would increase bond allocations for Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs) and expand the use of QZABs for school repairs and modernization, allowing an additional $1.4 billion of issuing authority to state and local governments in 2009 and 2010.QZABs can be used to finance school renovations, equipment purchases, developing course material, and training teachers and personnel. Current bond authority for the QZAB program is $400 million annually.

The Senate Finance Committee would also create a new category of qualified school construction bonds that would provide $10 billion in bond authority for school construction projects in 2009 and 2010.

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The Senate scored an early victory for local control advocates Wednesday, defeating legislation that would have given the state the authority to close small school districts that fail to plan for consolidation within two years of dropping below 100 students.

Senators voted down SB 34 on a 11-23 vote, proving they aren't willing to give the state the power to override the will of local voters.

Sen. Cory Brown, R-Gettysburg, asked lawmakers to defeat the bill.

“This is a government by the people, for the people,” Sen. Brown said. “Any time we try to abrogate that right from the people, it should not be taken lightly.”

The Department of Education asked for the change. It's thesecond time the DOE asked lawmakers to clarify the minimum size enrollment law. Last year, DOE officials proposed SB 23 only to see it defeated in the Senate floor.

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A $825 billion federal stimulus package working its way through the U.S. House of Representatives could provide South Dakota districts relief in meeting the demands of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The House Appropriations Committee reported the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” Wednesday night on a 35-22 vote, clearing the way for Congressional sub committees to consider the various sections of the bill.

The legislation provides needed increases for key education programs and school districts nation wide, including two-year boots in Title I and IDEA funding for local school districts.

• Read a summary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 by clicking here.
• Find out how much South Dakota schools would receive in Title I, IDEA and school construction by clicking here.

According to the National School Board Association, major components of the stimulus package include:

• $41 billion to local school districts through: Title I ($13 billion), IDEA ($13 billion), a new School Modernization and Repair program ($14 billion) and the Education and Technology program ($1 billion);
• $79 billion in fiscal relief to states, including $39 billion for K-12 and higher ed through existing state and federal formulas, $15 billion in bonuses for meeting key performance measures, and $25 billion for other high priority purposes - which can include education; and
• An extension of school-based Medicaid Services reimbursement to Oct. 2009.

State lawmakers have approached the concept of the federal stimulus with caution, suggesting that the state's budget concerns must be solved without the help of the federal government.

Despite the tempered approach, the stimulus could offer significant relief to the state's troubled general fund, either through unrestricted block grants or by changing the Medicaid match rate.

When asked about the stimulus package, Gov. Rounds said he may have to call a special session if the funds are released after the Legislature adjourns. He also said lawmakers could chose to allow the one-time federal stimulus to accumulate in reserves.

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Gov. Rounds' K-12 education recommendations aren't sitting well GOP lawmakers, Republican legislative leadership said during their weekly press conference.

Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, said proposals to cut sparsity funding, eliminate aid for districts with fluctuating enrollments and to freeze property tax levies will meet opposition.

“There is great distaste for those proposals,” Knudson said, adding that the Senate caucus is looking for funds to restore the cuts.

Sen. Knudson thinks many of those provisions could be saved if legislators changed state law that governs annual per-student increases. He favors language that ties per-student increases to the state's economic prosperity. Under that plan, K-12 per-student aid wouldn't increase this year but would be in for a boost when the state's economy recovers.

“If schools are going to be asked to share on the way down, we are going to share the increase on the way up,” Sen. Knudson said.

House Assistant Majority Leader Kristi Noem, R-Castlewood, said House Republicans are also looking for ways to restore Gov. Rounds' proposed cuts.

She said cutting sparsity funding and aid for districts with fluctuating enrollments shows a lack of regard for the situations those schools are in.

“To just cut those causes me great concern,” Noem said.

Both lawmakers also expressed interest in maintaining the Teacher Compensation Assistance Program, which provides $4 million to K-12 school districts.

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Non-formula state funding for K-12 education will suffer significant cuts under Gov. Rounds' revised FY10 budget.

The Teacher Compensation Assistance Program (TCAP) and the state's Education Service Agencies are on a list of K-12 programs that the governor has targeted in a second wave of cuts aimed at balancing the state's budget in the face of declining revenue and a struggling economy.

Gov. Rounds presented his recommendations to lawmakers Thursday, six weeks after presenting his initial budget request to the Legislature. Since then, the state's revenue projections have changed, prompting the governor to eliminate $46 million from his original FY10 request.

In his Dec. budget message, Gov. Rounds asked legislators to approve a 3 percent increase to the per-student allocation while requesting approximately $8 million in K-12 cuts, including proposals to eliminate aid for enrollment fluctuations and funding for districts serving sparsely populated areas.

Gov. Rounds' FY10 K-12 recommendations include:

• A 3 percent increase to the per-student allocation for state aid to general education ($10 million increase);
• Flat per-student funding for state aid to special education;
• Elimination of increasing a decreasing enrollment aid ($5.7 million cut);
• Elimination of sparsity funding ($2.3 million cut);
• Elimination of TCAP funding ($4 million cut);
• Elimination of Education Service Agencies ($2.2 million cut);
• Elimination of Career and Tech Ed grants ($1.5 million cut);
• Cuts to K-12 technology services ($611,000 cut)
• Elimination of funding for National Board Certified Teachers and the Alternative Education Program ($543,000 cut)

K-12 Education and the State's FY10 Budget

The $46 million in cuts outlined Thursday were relative to the governor's original FY10 budget request, but actual state general fund spending will only decrease $10 million compared to the state's FY09 budget, a dip of 0.8%.

The governor's proposed 3 percent increase to the per-student allocation amounts to approximately $10 million in increased state spending – an investment offset by other cuts, resulting in a $611,000 reduction in state aid spending compared to FY09.

Programs and services targeted for elimination, including the TCAP, ESAs and CTE grants, were initially funded using revenue generated when voters approved a $1 per-pack tax increase on tobacco. Lawmakers set $9 million aside to provide an ongoing funding stream for the three programs, but Gov. Rounds has shifted that money to the state's general fund.

Dismal Revenue Forecast

During a morning press conference, Gov. Rounds' stressed that his revised budget is “fraught with tough decisions” before he explained the state's bleak revenue forecasts.

The state will be short more than $52 million in the current year – a deficit likely to be made up using the balance of the state's property tax reduction fund. Despite the budget revisions, the governor said the state will still enter FY11 with a $30 million structural deficit.

In a press conference last week, the governor said his economic forecasts show the state pulling out of the recession next year, making $50 to $60 million in new revenue available for FY11.

Looking Forward

Gov. Rounds told reporters his decision to maintain the 3 percent increase for the per-student allocation was based, in part, on the trends in the Consumer Price Index.

Currently, per-student funding increases each year by 3 percent or the CPI, whichever is less. Inflation this year was 4 percent, but will likely be close to zero next year, Rounds said, meaning K-12 wouldn't receive an increase for FY11.

Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, will introduce legislation to change the index factor that governs annual per-student increases. Under Knudson's plan, the per-student allocation would grow by 4 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater, provided state revenue grows by 4 percent.

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• Teacher Compensation Assistance Program - $4 million
• Education Service Agencies - $2.2 million
• Special Education Funding (no increase from FY09) - $1.6 million
• Career and Tech Education Grants - $1.5 million
• State Aid to Technology Increase - $309,000
• Increasing and Decreasing Enrollment Aid - $5.7 million
• Sparsity Aid: $2.3 million

Stay with Open Forum for more updates.

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Multi-districts that offer career and technical education courses will also be able to offer academic course offerings, a House panel decided Wednesday.

Members of House Education unanimously endorsed HB 1044, a measure that Department of Education officials say will provide local school districts with greater flexibility and make high school more relevant for students.

Mark Wilson, state director for career and technical education, told lawmakers that the legislation allows students to choose which setting fits their learning style. A student who learns more effectively working with their hands could take other subjects in conjunction with trade education.

According to Wilson, the change coincides with the state’s High School 2025 initiative to strengthen the high school experience. In addition to the change proposed in HB 1044, the state is also working to develop alternate certification to make it possible for current CTE teachers to also teach core subjects, such as math.

A multi-district is a agreement between several school districts to provide career and technical education. Currently, multi-district centers are set up in Aberdeen, Brookings and Watertown. There’s also a mobile multi-district arrangement in Northwest South Dakota. According to Wilson, Madison Central is also working on a similar venture.

The legislation will be considered on the House floor this week.

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A proposal to prevent non-contiguous districts from consolidating is being held while lawmakers await more detail.

Education Secretary Tom Oster asked members of Senate Education to pass SB 38, a measure that requires merging districts to be geographic neighbors. According to the law, the Secretary can make an exception if a merger between non-contiguous districts is appropriate.

Oster told lawmakers that the change isn't intended to prevent non-contiguous mergers that “make sense.” Instead, the bill is aimed at closing a loophole in state law that could allow a small district to consolidate with a larger school on the other end of the state.

“There are some situations where it would make some sense to have a non-contiguous district exist,” Oster said. “But there are some situations where it doesn't make sense.”

To illustrate what would be considered an unacceptable merger, Oster cited a hypothetical example involving the Hurley School District, in Southeast South Dakota, voting to attach itself to the Rapid City School District.

“That would be a way for a school district to guarantee themselves an elementary school,” Oster said before clarifying for the committee that dissolve-and-attach laws only require the voter approval from the dissolving district.

ASBSD lobbyist Dick Tieszen opposed the bill, saying the proposal was unconstitutional and gave too much latitude to state officials.

“[The bill] doesn't provide the department with any guidance,” Tieszen said before asking lawmakers to clarify when the Secretary's exemption may be used. “Before you can delegate responsibility there has to be some careful criteria set forth.”

During committee question-and-answer, Oster told lawmakers that the Department would be open to creating conditions for the waiver process, saying it would make it easier to evaluate future reorganization plans.

The committee deferred action on the legislation, pending amendments.

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School districts that fail to prepare a reorganization plan within two years of dipping below the state's minimum enrollment will have a plan prepared and implemented for them, according to a piece of legislation endorsed by the Senate Education committee Tuesday morning.

Senators passed SB 34 on a 4-3 party-line vote, saying the legislation provides clarity to the state's minimum enrollment law passed two years ago.

Education Secretary Tom Oster asked for the change, telling legislators that the state needs some remedy for school districts that “have not done anything” since the enrollment floor became law.

Current law says districts must prepare a reorganization plan two years after falling below 100 enrolled students. The statute is silent, however, on what would occur if a district failed to prepare a plan or if a plan was prepared then voted down by the community.

Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, voted for the proposal.

“I think this bill makes sense,” Knudson said. “You just need some sort of default position when you don't have cooperation.”

It's the second time the Department of Education has asked lawmakers to clarify the minimum size enrollment law. Last year, DOE officials proposed SB 23 only to see it defeated in the Senate floor.

The language proposed in 2008 was more heavy-handed, stating that districts must reorganize within two years or face state restructuring. Under SB 34, districts are required only to prepare a plan.

Sen. Ben Nesselhuf, D-Vermillion, voted against the measure, saying he opposes any attempts to force school districts to close.

“As somebody who is adamantly opposed to arbitrary minimums set by the state, I feel no obligation to make it easier,” he said.

The bill will be considered by the full Senate this week.

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The state won't be able to balance its budget without making cuts to K-12 education funding, Gov. Mike Rounds told reporters Friday.

“We will probably join the ranks of about 20 states in the nation that are looking at cutbacks in education,” the governor said. “That's not something that any of us relish.”

Gov. Rounds explained that no area of the state budget is safe as state officials look to trim more than $80 million in ongoing general fund expenses – a move the he said is a necessary response to a struggling state economy that is beginning to feel the impact of a national recession.

When asked whether he'd ask legislators to change a state law that mandates per-student education funding to increase by the lesser of 3 percent or the rate of inflation, Gov. Rounds didn't answer directly. Instead, he insisted that proposed cuts would be “broad-based” and that it would be difficult to make the necessary reductions without impacting every part of the state budget.

“They will cut very deep. They will impact people,” Gov. Rounds said, referring to the proposed cuts. “This will make a difference in people's lives in South Dakota.”

The governor will present a revised budget recommendation Thursday, Jan. 22, about six weeks after he presented an initial budget offering a 3 percent increase to the per-student allocation along with a host of K-12 funding cuts. That plan has been shelved due to declining state revenues and a worsening economic climate.

According to figures presented by Gov. Rounds, the state will need $52 million just to balance the current year's budget. That figure is nearly twice the $27 million FY09 shortfall the governor outlined during his Dec. 2 budget address.

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The legislature should not increase taxes or fees and needs to reprioritize in tight economic times, democratic legislative leaders said during their Friday press briefing.

Sen. Minority Leader Scott Heidepriem, D-Sioux Falls, and House Minority Leader Bernie Hunhoff, D-Yankton, told reporters that on Monday they will unveil a list of state budget cuts and ways to increase state revenues.

Both lawmakers said they will not propose to cuts to essential services – like K-12 education and Medicaid – but every other area of the state budget is on the table.

“I think our message is, we don't need to increase property taxes or fees,” Sen. Heidepriem said. “We don't need to talk about big government, but smart government.”

Sen. Heidepriem said past governors have proposed across-the-board cuts in state government during tough economic times and that those discussions should be part of the conversation this year.

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Amid an otherwise positive state-of-the-state message, Gov. Mike Rounds seemingly warned legislators to reject a proposal to change a state law that dictates annual increases in state aid to education.

The governor asked legislators to resist spending increases for next year and warned them against obligating future Legislature's by making long-term commitments.

“We should not commit dollars that may or may not be there in the future,” Gov. Rounds said.

Gov. Rounds reacted similarly following his Dec. 2 budget address, according to a report by the Argus Leader. When asked his thoughts on a proposal by Sen. Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, to change the state's index factor, the governor likened the plan to “giving future legislators advice.”

Taking off on a message that made headlines last week, the governor told legislators that tax collections have decreased and asked to present a new budget to the Legislature – a proposal he says will come on Thursday, Jan 22.

In his original budget address, Gov. Rounds proposed relatively flat spending for K-12 state aid, balancing a 3 percent per-student increase by making cuts to additional aid for districts with increasing or decreasing enrollment and opting not to renew aid to districts serving sparsely populated areas.

Much of Gov. Rounds' presentation was focused on positioning South Dakota to survive and prosper during the national recession, making special point to contrast our state's relatively stable economy with the gloomy national trends.

The governor had kind words for educators, thanking teachers and administrators who continue to push students to achieve.

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PIERRE, S.D. –  State legislators got a taste of high school in the 21^st century today, when the Department of Education officially launched its High School 2025 initiative. High School 2025 offers a framework of key practices to prepare students for success in today’s global economy.

“The whole purpose of High School 2025 is to provide a student-focused experience based on the four Rs: relevance, relationships, rigor and results,” said Mark Wilson, director of career and technical education for the Department of Education. “How is it different from what schools are currently doing? It’s much more focused on the individual student’s academic and career goals. Students make the connection between what they are doing in high school and how it will impact their lives in the future.”

 

Personal learning plans play a significant role in the High School 2025 model. Each student develops a plan that lays out coursework and activities based on long-term academic and career goals. As 8^th graders, students take an interest assessment that helps them to identify a potential career field of interest, called a “career cluster.” Armed with that information as well as input from parents and teachers, students begin to build a plan for their high school experience – one that will prepare them for specific postsecondary work, and ultimately, a career field.

 

“The fields of interest cover very broad areas: health science, information technology, manufacturing, and hospitality and tourism, for example,” Wilson said. “We also recognize that students will make changes to their plans over time.”  

 

In addition to traditional academics, a personal learning plan may include things such as a capstone experience designed to demonstrate a student’s cumulative learning; an internship; and courses taken online.
 

As part of the High School 2025 kickoff, legislators watched portions of a new South Dakota Public Broadcasting television program dedicated to High School 2025. The program, which is a joint effort of SDPB and the South Dakota Department of Education, will air for the first time on SDPB-TV Jan. 20, 7 p.m. Central / 6 p.m. Mountain.

For more information about High School 2025, visit www.highschool2025.com.

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Legislation has been introduced to repeal state laws delivering aid to school districts with increasing or decreasing enrollment.

Since House Bill 1067, put forward by the State Bureau of Finance and Management, was filed prior to session, discussion and action on the measure may come in the early days of session.

The legislation is part of a trio of cost-saving measures Gov. Rounds announced during his budget address Dec. 2 in Pierre. A bill to freeze property tax levies, filed as HB 1068, is also part of the governor's plan.

ASBSD opposes both pieces of legislation.

Since his budget address, Gov. Rounds has told legislators he will remake the state budget and submit a new plan on Thursday, Dec. 22. It's unclear whether the funding cuts and property tax levy freeze will be a part of the revised recommendations.

Additional aid for districts with increasing or decreasing enrollment was part of an “omnibus” education bill passed during the 2007 legislative session.

According to the law, when a school district's enrollment increases by 5 percent or 25 students, the state issues a one-time payment worth half the aid a district would received if state aid was based on the district's current fall enrollment rather than the previous year's student count.

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A struggling economy and dwindling state revenues may jeopardize the annual increase to the per-student state aid, according to a Rapid City Journalreport.

In an interview following Gov. Rounds' state-of-the-state address, Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson, R-Sioux Falls, said he expects the governor to lower his requested increases when he presents his revised budget to the Legislature on Jan. 22.

“It just seems likely to see all those numbers go down,” Sen. Knudson told the Journal. The Sioux Falls lawmaker did not indicate whether he would support or oppose the governor's plan.

During his Dec. 2 budget address, Gov. Rounds proposed a 3 percent increase to the per-student allocation. The recommendation was offset by nearly 8 million in funding cuts, meaning the proposal amounts to approximately 1.4 percent statewide, according to an ASBSD analysis.

But new talk of freezing the per-student allocation could mean the governor's proposals would amount to a net reduction in state aid, assuming Gov. Rounds would hold firm on his plans to eliminate additional aid for districts with increasing or decreasing enrollment and funding for districts serving sparsely populated areas.

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