South Dakota’s first major dose of winter weather didn’t keep 64 school board members from making the trip to Pierre for the 2015 ASBSD Delegate Assembly.

 

“As board members, you are here today because you are part of a powerful grassroots advocacy network,” ASBSD President Eric Stroeder said. “Your commitment to provide the best education to the youth of South Dakota is to be admired.”

 

“School board members are the leaders in public education and local governance in their community.”

 

Delegates approved resolutions and standing positions, which set the legislative direction of ASBSD, and set the legislative priorities of the Association for the upcoming year.

 

Download the final versions of ASBSD resolutions and standing positions by clicking on each link.

 

 

ASBSD’s legislative priorities for the 2016 legislative session include:

• A6 School Employee Compensation: ASBSD supports a long-term commitment with the legislature to enhance the ability to attract, recruit and retain quality personnel in South Dakota public schools.
• C1 School Funding: ASBSD supports funding appropriated by the State that meets expectations established in statute, administrative rule, accreditation standards and the South Dakota Constitution.
• C6 Capital Outlay Growth Limits: ASBSD opposes legislation that freezes or limits the growth of Capital Outlay funds.
• D1 Alternative Revenue Sources: ASBSD supports legislation of an additional revenue source to state funding of K-12 education dedicated to funding measures to recruit and retain teachers.

“Establishing these as priorities allow ASBSD staff to better focus the communications and advocacy efforts of the Association,” Stroeder said of the priorities.

 

 

Delegates also passed a recently drafted resolution, which was approved by the ASBSD Board of Directors, related to proposed legislation regarding minor boundary changes.

 

ASBSD resolution B5 School Boundaries states: ASBSD supports legislation repealing current law allowing landowners to initiate a minor boundary change and authorizing only school boards to initiate a minor boundary change contingent on land of comparable value being exchanged between school districts, subject to voter approval.

 

Each factor noted in the new resolution is included in proposed legislation that was recently given support by the Minor Boundary Change Task Force.

 

Check out photos from the 2015 Delegate Assembly here.

 

In addition, two resolutions were amended and approved by Delegates on the Assembly floor.

 

Resolution A1 Pre-Kindergarten Standards was amended to include supporting the South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines in place of other statewide content and accreditation standards for voluntary pre-kindergarten education programs.

 

Resolution G4 School Nutrition was amended replacing the previously referenced Department of Agriculture (USDA) with Congress to better represent the entity needed to make changes to the Health Hunger-Free Kids Act.

 

With ASBSD’s legislative direction set, attention is now turned to the upcoming budget address from Gov. Dennis Daugaard and the 2016 legislative session.

 

For updates on both, check the ASBSD Twitter feed and ASBSD Blog.