Action on TFA bill deferred
Action on Senate Bill 188, which would provide $500,000 in funding, taken from the general fund, for the Teach for America grant program, was deferred at Thursday’s Senate Appropriations meeting.
The TFA grant program would recruit teachers to and place them in school districts with high numbers of students from low-income households, specifically in schools on reservations.
TFA Representative Jim Curran testified last year’s grant program provided $250,000 in state funds, which was matched in private contributions, as stipulated in last year’s legislation (2012 – SD 139).
Curran said the proposed $250,000 increase would allow TFA increase the number of teachers recruited and retained by the program to 100, up from 57, and expand beyond the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations to other areas.
ASBSD is opposed to the bill because it removes general fund dollars that could be appropriated to school districts to use at their own discretion.
The bill is scheduled to come before the committee again on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Agenda bill through House
Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 1158 on Thursday.
HB 1158 would require proposed agendas to include the date, time and location of a meeting. The bill was introduced to correct the oversight of meeting agenda information.
Ag. levy bill sent to 41st
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources committee members deferred SB 210 to the 41st Legislative Day on an 8-1 vote at Thursday’s meeting.
The bill would have called for assessment of agricultural property based on full market value only and repeals the practice of assessing agricultural property based on its agricultural income value.
For updates on these bills, as well as others, check the ASBSD blog and bill tracker.