ELL funding bill survives
In a matter of hours, Senate Bill 159 received a reprieve.
Appropriators initially deferred the bill, which provides school districts with increased state aid for each Limited English Proficiency student, because there’s a provision in the recently hoghoused Senate Bill 235.
Committee members decided later in the hearing to reconsider the bill in case SB 235 was defeated. With the reconsideration, appropriators lowered the percentage of increased funding from one percent to ½ a percent. The percentage increase is expected to change. ASBSD supports the bill.
“This will impact every one of your districts at some point,” Executive Director Wade Pogany testified.
ESA bill hoghoused
Senate Bill 76 was hoghoused by committee members. The new version will be used for the purpose of enhancing military value of Ellswoth Air Force Base.
Previously, SB 76 called for the appropriation of funds for Education Service Agencies. The bill initially called for $500,000 in ESA funding before being downgraded to $150,000 and finally $1. ESAs, which serve school districts in one of six regions in South Dakota, had most of their state funding cut in 2009. ASBSD supported the bill.
CTE funding bill gets deferred
Appropriators deferred Senate Bill 229 to the 41st legislative day.
SB 229 would have appropriated funds for CTE programs. At its time of deferral, the bill had $1 attached to it, but it was proposed with $1.5 million. ASBSD opposed the bill.
Critical needs scholarship sent on
Senate Bill 233, which establishes a critical needs teaching scholarship and creates a trust fund program for student’s working towards a teaching degree in a critical needs curriculum area, was passed to the Joint Appropriations committee.
Sen. Tim Rave (25) has requested$5 million in one-time dollars from the general fund to start the scholarship’s trust fund, which he said would supply 11-15 scholarships each year.
ASBSD is monitoring the bill.
For updates on funding legislation, check the ASBSD blog and bill tracker.