All of South Dakota’s public schools met teacher pay targets for the year and will continue to receive a waiver from their general fund cash balances.

 

School Finance Accountability Board members received their FY2022 Accountabilities report in which it noted all public school districts met their average teacher compensation target for the year.

 

“All school districts did meet the accountability,” S.D. Department of Education’s Office of State Aid and School Finance Administrator Bobbi Leiferman told the board, adding “no waivers” were needed.

 

The passage of House Bill 1080 during the 2022 legislative session reinstated the previous requirement in law that a district’s average teacher compensation must exceed the level established in 2016-17 for both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.

 

On a 5-0 vote, SFAB members also granted “an additional one-year waiver to public school districts for the excess cash balance accountability with the requirement that any school districts who do not meet the general fund cash balance in fiscal year FY2023 for state aid accountabilities in FY2024 attend an informational hearing with the School Finance Accountability Board in the fall of 2023.”

 

“Our goal is to get back to compliance,” SFAB Chair Terry Nebelsick said, adding the board did not want a “forever waiver” from the general fund cash balance accountability, but just to give schools flexibility during this period.

 

Members of the legislative interim’s Joint Appropriations committee also approved the extension on an 11-3 vote.

 

For updates on future action by SFAB and other issues affecting K-12 public schools, check the ASBSD Blog.