Two-year averaging was turned away by a legislative committee.

 

On an 8-1 vote, House Appropriations committee members defeated House Bill 1127, which includes two-year averaging in the fall enrollment calculation for state aid. The bill had been previously passed by the House Education committee, but was referred to Appropriations on the House floor.

 

“It’s just a tool that we (the legislature) took away, that probably we shouldn’t have,” Sen. Justin Cronin, the bill’s sponsor, said.

 

Two-year averaging was removed from the fall enrollment count in 2016 as part of the Blue Ribbon Task Force package that increased in teacher pay. Its return would take the average of the previous two-year’s fall enrollment or the current year’s fall enrollment, whichever is greater.

 

S.D. Department of Education CFO Matt Flett said the bill would add $3.6 million to the state budget, by adding 780 students to the count via averaging.

 

“Certainly, what’s happening here is the declining students,” Rep. Jean Hunhoff said.

 

ASBSD supported the bill.

 

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