The bill providing public schools an increase in state aid had its first hearing of the legislative session.

 

Senate Bill 49, which sets the School District General Fund levy, target teacher salary and overhead rate for FY 2022, was expectedly sent to the Joint Appropriations Committee on a 7-0 vote by the Senate Education committee.

 

ASBSD supports the bill, which provides the schools the proposed 2.4 percent increase in state aid and raises the target teacher salary to $52,600, up from $51,367.

 

“We are deeply grateful to Gov. Noem for efforts to put this into the budget,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany told committee members. “Obviously we are in favor of this.”

 

State law requires schools receive an annual increase in funding of three percent or inflation, whichever is less, with Gov. Noem’s funding increase proposal eclipsing inflation, which is 1.5 percent, by 0.9 percent.

 

Pogany noted the 2.4 percent increase being ongoing is incredibly important to schools as the federal stimulus money schools have received is on a one-time basis.

 

“That federal stimulus money will be used up. It’s one-time money,” Pogany said, adding the 2.4 percent increase is “ongoing.”

 

“We’re grateful that it’s (2.4 percent) here on a policy basis. We need this in our budgets.”

 

In addition, SB 49 will:

• Decrease all property tax levies with owner-occupied set at 3.153, agricultural at 1.409 and commercial at 6.525;
• Sets the Overhead Rate at 37.3 percent;
• Lowers the Special Education Levy to 1.67; and
• Sets the Special Education Disability Levels for the 2021-22 school.

For updates on SB 49 and from legislative session, check the ASBSD Blog and Bill Tracker page.