Revenue projections adopted by appropriators present hope for a possible funding increase for schools.
On Tuesday (2/13), members of the Joint Appropriations committee adopted revenue projections for the Fiscal Year 2019 budget totaling $1.641 billion, which exceeds the $1.622 billion in revenue proposed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard during his budget address in December.
Gov. Daugaard’s budget address did not include a funding increase – beyond an uptick for increased enrollment – for public education. The nearly $19 million in additional funds found in the adopted revenue projections could garner new dollars for schools.
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“This is an encouraging development,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany said. “Board members, administrators and educators need to make our voices heard, as a collective group, by legislators about the need for new dollars.”
“Our students, teacher and schools benefitted from the influx of new dollars in 2016 and from the increase legislators worked to provide schools last year. And any new money for schools this session would be beneficial.”
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State law requires schools to receive an annual increase in funding of three percent or CPI-W, whichever is less. CPI-W came in at 1.7 percent for next school year, which equates to approximately $11 to $12 million in new money.
The adopted revenue projections – chosen based on figures presented by the Legislative Research Council and S.D. Bureau of Finance and Management – exceeding what was presented in December presents a potential opportunity not totally tangible before Tuesday (2/13).
“With updated, and increased, revenue figures holding a place in the budget, there’s starting point for dialogue on schools receiving their statutory increase,” Pogany said.
“We have to get to our legislators and let them know that new money in the formula for next school year would go a long way in advancing the goals set by the Blue Ribbon Task Force and enhancing public education in South Dakota.”
For updates on revenue figures and budget, as well as other legislation affecting education, check the ASBSD Blog, Bill Tracker page and Twitter feed.