Committee members of the education funding study will likely meet for the fourth and likely final time on Monday at the Capitol Building in Pierre.

 

The study has focused on how the school funding formula affects a district’s decision to seek an opt-out or utilize special tax levies, funding’s effect on graduation and technology’s relation to teaching.

 

Monday’s meeting should center on committee recommendations, which could bring a wide variety of topics to the forefront including a suggested return to per-student allocation’s highpoint of $4,805.

 

“Getting back to $4,805 is in play,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany said. “They discussed the figure during September’s meeting so we know it’s on the radar.

 

The number signifies the state’s per-student allocation highpoint, which was provided for the 2010-11 school year before the massive 8.6 percent cut to funding that dropped the PSA to $4,309.

 

Legislators approved a three percent increase to the PSA and one percent in one-time dollars for the 2013-14 school year. The increases – both to the PSA and in one-time dollars – equaled approximately $180 per student for a total of approximately $23 million in additional dollars spent.

 

A return to the PSA highpoint would require a $179 increase per-student for a total of $22.9 million.

 

The committee will convene at 10 a.m. in Room 414 of the Capitol Building. An audio broadcast of the meeting will be available here.

 

For updates on the meeting, visit the ASBSD Blog.