Scholarship program bill moves on

 

Senate Education committee members gave unanimous approval at this morning’s committee meeting to a bill resurrecting a piece of last year’s controversial education reform, House Bill 1234.

 

Senate Bill 233 would establish the critical needs teaching scholarship program for student’s looking to enter the teaching profession in a critical needs curriculum area and stay in South Dakota after completing their degree.

 

“Everyone, generally, thought (the scholarship) was a good idea,” Sen. Tim Rave (25) said about the scholarship program from HB 1234 during his testimony in support of the new bill. “We have a problem in the number of graduates in our high needs teaching areas.”

 

Rave said 532 South Dakota teachers retired in 2012 and 482 graduated with teaching degrees.

 

SB 233 would provide scholarships for student’s looking to enroll in teaching programs at South Dakota universities. Five million dollars would be appropriated from the general fund to kick start the program’s trust fund.

 

Agenda adjustment bill passed

 

The House Local Government passed (13-0) a bill that would require government bodies post the date, time and location on a proposed meeting agenda.

 

Rep. Stace Nelson (19) said House Bill 1158 was introduced to correct the oversight of meeting agenda information. HB 1158 moves on to the entire House.

 

Bus inspection bill another step closer

 

Senate Bill 41, which would allow school districts to use an approved inspector to inspect school buses, passed the House Transportation committee on a 12-1 vote.

 

The bill expands the requirement that bus inspection be completed only by the highway patrol and gives school districts the choice on inspectors. The bill now heads to the House floor.

 

ASBSD will continue to update these pieces of legislation, and many others, on the ASBSD blog and bill tracker.