Nearly 90 Delegates took part in the first-ever online Delegate Assembly last month.

 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 ASBSD Delegate Assembly took place on the Zoom online platform where 87 delegates approved 39 legislative resolutions and 12 standing positions, which set the Association’s legislative platform for the 2021 legislative session that begins on Tuesday, January 12.

 

Download the 2021 Legislative Resolutions here and the 2021 Legislative Standing Positions here.

 

Delegates approved five resolutions as advocacy priorities for the upcoming legislative session, including:

• School Funding – Maintaining the State Aid Inflation Factor;
• School Board and School Bond Elections;
• Additional Funding During COVID-19 Pandemic;
• Charter Schools or Other School Systems;
• School Funding – Two-Year Enrollment Averaging.

“Establishing priorities allows ASBSD staff to better focus the communications and advocacy efforts of the Association,” ASBSD President Eric Stroeder said during Delegate Assembly.

 

Resolutions slated to continue without change included:

• State Funded Preschool
• Compulsory School Attendance
• School Employee Compensation
• Additional State Testing Requirements
• School Finances
• Public Funding for Non-Public Education
• Private School Scholarship Program
• Legal and Financial Protection for Compliance with State Law
• Behavioral and Mental Health Resources
• Safe Schools Resources
• School Board Training Policy
• Consistent Sparsity Funding
• School Funding – Two-Year Averaging
• General Obligation Bond Election
• Property Tax Exemption for Alternative Instruction
• Protecting School District Valuations
• Commitment to the Half Penny Sales Tax Ratio
• School Funding – Partridge Amendment
• Human Resource Management
• F1 State Education Mandates
• Federal Mandates
• Medicaid Service Reimbursement
• School Nutrition
• E-Rate
• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
• Repurposing Federal Funding for School Choice Expansion

Descriptions of the following resolutions that were adopted, amended or deleted include:

 

A3. South Dakota Academic Content Standards, Graduation Requirements and State Assessment Exams – AMENDED

Minor change made to the final sentence in the rationale.

 

A4. Extra and Co-Curricular Activities – Free Participation – DELETED

The topic of pay to play sports or other extracurricular activities has not been an issue for several years and doesn’t appear to warrant a legislative resolution.

 

B1. Students Receiving Alternative Instruction (Home School Instruction) – AMENDED

Removes a line that is unnecessary as it is addressed within other portions of the resolution.

 

B3. Charter Schools or Other School Systems – AMENDED

Adds reference to “other school systems” in addition to charter schools to ensnare ASBSD’s opposition to the creation of new school systems, beyond public schools, that utilize state funding.

 

B6. School District Identification Symbols and Events – AMENDED

Amends the title of the resolution with the addition of “and Events.”

 

B7. Decision-Making Authority Regarding Transgender Legislation – AMENDED

Minor amendment made in the rationale.

 

B12. School Board and School Bond Elections – ADOPTED

Expresses the opposition of ASBSD to any mandate dictating when a school board or school bond election must be held.

 

B13. Governance During the COVID-19 Pandemic – ADOPTED

Acknowledges the local decision-making authority of school boards during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for guidance from government agencies in order for school boards to make informed decisions.

 

C1. School Funding – DELETED

The concepts in the resolution have been incorporated into the proposed amendment to C6. Maintaining the State Aid Inflation Factor.

 

C3. Capital Outlay Adjustments – AMENDED

Notes the increase in the cap on Capital Outlay funds from $2,800 per-student to $3,400 per student, which was passed via legislation during the 2020 legislative session.

 

C6. Maintaining the State Aid Inflation Factor – AMENDED

Incorporates ideas from the deleted resolution C1. School Funding, which is proposed to be deleted, into the resolution. The resolution is independent of resolution C10. State Aid Inflation Factor of Three Percent or Greater as C6. focuses on the need to maintain the inflation factor in state law in order for school districts to receive needed annual increases in state aid.

 

C7. Accountability Waivers – AMENDED

Adds a clause in the resolution to waive accountability requirements if an increase in state aid is not provided to school districts.

 

C9. Additional Funding During COVID-19 Pandemic – ADOPTED

Addresses ASBSD’s support for additional state and federal funding for school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

C10. State Aid Inflation Factor of Three Percent or Greater – ADOPTED

Supports state aid to schools be provided at three percent or inflation, whichever is greater, which is a change from current state law that calls for state aid to be increased at three percent or inflation, whichever is less. The resolution is independent from resolution C6. Maintaining the State Aid Inflation Factor as C10. focuses on a change in state law to provide an increase in state aid to schools.

 

C11. Fall Enrollment Calculation Greater of 2019 or 2020 – ADOPTED

Supports potential legislation utilizing either the 2019 or 2020, whichever is higher, fall enrollment count for state aid purposes to assist school districts whose enrollment has fluctuated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution is independent from resolution C2. School Funding – Two Year Enrollment Averaging as C11. focuses solely on the 2019 or 2020 fall enrollment counts and not an average.

 

Standing Positions approved to continue without change included:

• Investment in Education
• Open Government & Transparency
• School Finance
• Technology in Education

Descriptions of the following standing positions that were amended include:

 

Diversity and Equity – AMENDED

Adds the line “and understand” to the standing position.

 

Health & Wellness – AMENDED

Makes two minor additions to the standing position.

 

Local Governance – AMENDED

Makes two minor additions to the standing position and adds a statement of expectation for school board members on public school boards be “fully invested in the concept of public school education and the purpose for which public schools are created.”

 

Native American Indian Education – AMENDED

Amendment proposed advocates for embracement and collaboration of Native American culture in order to “improve public educational outcomes for Native American Indian students.”

 

Public School Choice – AMENDED

Includes a statement supporting the partnership between schools and parents to ensure educational needs of all students are met.

 

Safe and Secure Schools – AMENDED

Along with minor changes to wording, the final paragraph was adopted and acknowledges the important role multiple institutes play in serving students and families in protecting the school environment.

 

School Reorganization – AMENDED

Update made to wording of standing position to clarify process.

 

Student Achievement – AMENDED

Minor change made to wording in the final sentence of the first paragraph.

 

If you have questions about the Resolutions or Standing Positions, contact ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany at 605-773-2500 or at wpogany@asbsd.org.

 

Updates on the 2021 Legislative Session and the advocacy efforts of ASBSD will be provided via email and posted on the ASBSD Blog.