A summary of the key bills related to K-12 education, which passed through the legislature, is listed below.

 

ASBSD will also host three webinar sessions recapping legislative session on Tuesday, March 19, Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. An email with additional information will be sent next week to board presidents of each member school.

 

SB 235 – BUILDING SOUTH DAKOTA FUND

Establishes the Workforce Education fund, which receives thirty percent of the dollars collected for the Building South Dakota fund. The dollars would provide a 25 percent increase in state aid for ESL students, funding for CTE programs and potential dollars for education programs preparing students for the workforce.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD supported the bill.

 

SB 158 – TREATMENT CENTER FUNDING

Provides state funding for students placed in a treatment center in a district other than their home district. The bill also clarifies the discrepancy that funding for the student in the treatment center is provided by the home district.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD supported the bill.

 

SB 194 – CAPITAL OUTLAY FUNDS

Extends the sunset date for districts to cover certain expenditures with Capital Outlay dollars until 2018.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD supported the bill.

 

HB 1137 – ENHANCES EDUCATION

Appropriates $5.8 million, which equals $45 per student, in one-time funding for schools for FY13.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD supported the bill.

 

SB 15 – SPECIAL EDUCATION

Adjusts the tax levy and revises provisions of state aid for special education. The maximum level for the special education levy was raised to $1.552 per thousand dollars of valuation and a state aid qualifying level of $1.352. The bill sets the local effort to state aid ratio at approximately 61-39.

 

The extraordinary cost fund is set at $4 million. Allows school districts to use up to 15 percent of their special education fund dollars to identify K-12 students who need additional academic and behavioral interventions.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD monitored the bill.

 

SB 28 – PROPERTY TAX LEVIES

Provides the annual tax levy adjustment for school district’s general fund. The commercial levy was moved to $9.20 per thousand dollars of valuation– an increase of $0.572 from last year. The agricultural levy was set at $2.09 – a decrease of $0.23 from last year. The levy for owner occupied property was changed to $4.296 – an increase of $0.267 from last year.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD monitored the bill.

 

HB 1165 – PROPERTY TAX LEVIES

Establishes a task force to review ag land’s contribution to the local effort ratio of property tax levies for schools.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD monitored the bill.

 

SB 96 – JOINT POWERS AGREEMENTS

Allows school districts with enrollments under 100 to remain open if they are exercising joint powers or intergovernmental cooperation in education. Districts could share teachers, courses or curriculums among other services while students remain in their home district.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD supported the bill.

 

HB 1164 – INNOVATION GRANT

Appropriates $500,000 in one-time funding for an innovation grant program for teachers, school districts or ESAs to utilize technology in creative and innovative ways to enhance learning and achievement of their students.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD monitored the bill.

 

SB 233 – CRITICAL TEACHING NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP

Appropriates $1.5 million dollars for the establishment of the Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship program. The scholarship would subsequently be funded from the critical teaching needs trust fund after the initial appropriation. A variety of criteria would be used to award scholarship dollars to students enrolled in critical need teaching areas to encourage them to stay in South Dakota.

 

Awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature. ASBSD monitored the bill.

 

HB 1087 – “SENTINEL” PROGRAM

Allows school boards to implement Sentinel program, which arms individuals, other than law enforcement agents, with guns in and on school property. Individuals taking the Sentinel role have to complete 40-hours of firearms training. Approval of a local law enforcement agency before implementation of a program is required. A board’s decision can be referred to a vote by constituents.

 

Signed by Gov. Daugaard. ASBSD opposed the bill.