At their August meeting, members of the ASBSD Board of Directors approved changes to the Association’s legislative resolutions and standing positions recommended by the ASBSD Policy and Resolutions Committee.

 

The resolutions and standing positions dictate the legislative direction of ASBSD and are voted on by member districts at Delegate Assembly. This year’s Delegate Assembly will be held on Friday, November 15 at the Ramkota River Center in Pierre beginning at 1 p.m. (Central).

 

 

Below you will find a brief summary of each change made to a resolution or standing position and draft form PDF’s can be found on the Publications and Forms page.

 

Resolutions (click to view PDF):

 

A1. Preschool Standards – proposed deletion

The concepts of resolutions A1. Preschool Standards and A2. State Funded Preschool have been condensed into resolution A2. thus no need for both.

 

A2. State Funded Preschool – proposed amendment

Included in the Rationale a line reference South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines, which was previously included in resolution A1. Preschool Standards that is now being proposed for deletion.

 

A3. Compulsory School Attendance – proposed amendment

Adds the word “school” in front of “attendance” in the resolution and deletes “in public school” from the resolution as ASBSD believes each student, regardless of the educational option they have chosen, should remain in that education option until age 18 or they have graduated.

 

A7. Additional State Testing Requirements – proposed adoption

This is a new resolution that ASBSD believes is necessary to clarify our belief that all students, regardless of which educational option they have chosen, are included in any and all state assessment requirements.

 

B7. Decision-making Authority Regarding Transgender Legislation – proposed amendment

The recommended title and resolution amendments were proposed to reflect the Association’s belief that school boards, under the parameters of existing law, are best equipped to make local decisions that are in the best interest of students, school district and community related to the topic.

 

B8. Legal and Financial Protection for Compliance with State Law – proposed amendment

Minor amendments were made in the resolution and rationale to reflect updates to state law.

 

B10. Safe Schools Resources – proposed amendment

Rational was amended to reflect the continuous process school districts go through to ensure a safe environment is provided to all.

 

B11. Alternative Instruction Oversight – proposed amendment

Amended resolution and rationale to reflect Association’s support of legislation that would provide school boards the authority to investigate local homeschool programs and rescind exemptions, if they find they are not adequate.

 

B12. School Board Training Policy – proposed adoption

The new resolution supports ASBSD’s belief that local boards have the right and responsibility to establish a board policy outlining training requirements for their board members.

 

C3. School Funding – Two-year Enrollment Averaging – proposed amendment

Minor amendments to the rationale removing a reference to a previously passed piece of legislation.

 

C4. Capital Outlay Adjustments – proposed amendment

Amendments to the resolution and rationale reflect the Association’s support of repealing the current cap on the Capital Outlay fund of $2,800 and setting the maximum levy limit on the fund up to $3 per $1,000 of valuation.

 

C9. Protecting School District Valuation – proposed adoption

The new resolution notes the opposition of ASBSD to any legislation that would reduce property valuations for school districts without the inclusion of a hold harmless clause.

 

D1. Sales Tax Exemption Review – proposed deletion

Reason for deletion is ASBSD does not believe this is an issue that needs a position statement.

 

D3. School Funding – Partridge Amendment – proposed adoption

The new resolution is focused on the Association’s support of legislation that would provide the legislature the authority to decide whether or not to reduce the state’s sales tax rate by one-tenth of a percent should the revenue collected from the remote seller’s tax reach the appropriate collection level.

 

G5. Repurposing Federal Funding for School Choice Expansion – proposed amendment

Adds “non-public” in front of “school choice” in the resolution and rationale to clarify ASBSD’s opposition to using federal funds for school choice expansion.

 

Standing Positions (click to view PDF):

 

Investment in Education – proposed amendment

Includes a new paragraph referencing the requirement in state law for South Dakota public schools to receive a funding increase of the percentage increase to CPI-W or 3 percent, whichever is less, and is the only such legal requirement amongst the state’s institutions.

 

Local Governance – proposed amendment

Minor amendment removing the word “guidelines” and replacing it with “parameters” in the second paragraph.

 

Open Government and Transparency – proposed amendment

Includes the words “school board” in the first paragraph as a reference to the importance of school board policy.

 

Safe and Secure Schools – proposed amendment

Amendments made reflect the desire of ASBSD for school districts and government agencies to collaborate with each other to ensure effective emergency response plans are in place and any and all resources are utilized to ensure safe and secure school buildings.

 

School Finance – proposed amendment

Includes “public school” in the second bullet point listed in the Standing Position to reiterate the school finance system provides equal opportunities to all public school students.

 

Technology in Education – proposed amendment

Minor changes made in wording in the second paragraph note the continued growth of technology in schools.