There will be an increase in state aid for public schools next school year.

 

Senate Bill 49, which sets the School District General Fund levy, target teacher salary and overhead rate for FY 2022, received only 5 no votes with Joint Appropriations passing it 16-2, the Senate supporting it 34-0 and the House approving it 66-3.

 

ASBSD supports the bill, which provides the schools the proposed 2.4 percent increase in state aid and raises the target teacher salary to $52,600, up from $51,367.

 

SASD Executive Director Rob Monson testified the passage of the bill would be the legislature’s way of telling educators “good job” for all of their work since the “education world in South Dakota was turned on its head” in the past two school years.

 

State law requires schools receive an annual increase in funding of three percent or inflation, whichever is less, with the bill eclipsing inflation, which is 1.5 percent, by 0.9 percent this year.

 

“We have an opportunity here,” Rep. Linda Duba said. “We have a good proposal in front of us to help education. I know the administrators and teachers out there will find this a vote of confidence.”

 

In addition, SB 49 will:

• Decrease all property tax levies with owner-occupied set at 3.153, agricultural at 1.409 and commercial at 6.525;
• Sets the Overhead Rate at 37.3 percent;
• Lowers the Special Education Levy to 1.67; and
• Sets the Special Education Disability Levels for the 2021-22 school.

The bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Kristi Noem.

 

For more updates from the 2021 legislative session, check the ASBSD Blog and Bill Tracker page.