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How the 2005 session impacts you
Not surprisingly, funding was the hot topic
surrounding education during the 2005 legislative session. After consideration
of several options, the Legislature passed, and the Governor signed into law,
HB1220, which puts the per-student allocation for fiscal year 2006 at $4,237, up
from $4,086. This is a 3.7 percent increase.
In related action, the Legislature directed
the Department of Education to undertake a comprehensive study of school
funding. “Funding education adequately is a challenge for most states,” said Dr.
Rick Melmer, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education. “We welcome
this opportunity to offer solutions to some of our state’s unique funding
challenges.”
A summary of other education-related action
appears below. For a complete look at these bills, visit the South Dakota
Legislature’s Web site at
http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2005/index.cfm. Type in the bill number to
see a particular bill and view its progress through both bodies of the
Legislature.
- SB39 This act repeals the
requirement for tuberculosis screening for school students and employees.
The repeal was recommended by the Department of Health, because these
populations are at extremely low risk for TB and therefore the TB skin test
requirement is not necessary.
- SB66 This act directs the
Secretary of Education to get involved in school district reorganization
when the involved school boards cannot agree on a plan.
- SB72 This act allows
schools to pay related legal costs out of the special education fund.
- SB106 This act clarifies
that transfers can be made from the bond redemption fund to either the
general or capital outlay fund.
- SB116 This act clarifies
administration of the Hagen-Harvey Scholarship. In particular, it ensures
that current high school seniors may apply.
- SB125 This act allows
school districts that receive money from a municipal revenue-producing
enterprise to 1) transfer the dollars to the general or capital outlay funds
and 2) exempt those dollars when calculating fund balances.
- SB157 This act directs
the Department of Education to study South Dakota’s school funding formula.
An interim report is due to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2005.
- SB1028 Gov. Rounds vetoed
this bill regarding the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship. The bill
attempted to provide long-term funding for the program but would have
reduced the total dollar amount payable to scholarship recipients by $1,000.
- HB1063 This act repeals
the Board of Education’s rule-making authority regarding education for
gifted children, since the rules for gifted education were repealed in 1995.
- HB1064 Under this act,
when two or more districts consolidate, no new certificate of health is
required for those individuals with continuing contracts.
- HB1067 This act revises
the property tax levies for the general fund and special education tax levy
of a school district.
- HB1081 This act allows
school districts to maintain permanent school records electronically.
- HB1082 This act provides
$1.4 million from the state’s general fund for grants to the four technical
institutes.
- HB1093 This act allows
any 7th- or 8th-grade student who attends a nonpublic
elementary or middle school that is not affiliated with a nonpublic high
school to participate in interscholastic activities at a nonpublic high
school, at the discretion of the nonpublic school.
- HB1149 This act allows
the Department of Education to enter into enrollment agreements with the
State of North Dakota and to compensate school districts for lost revenue
due to the agreements.
- HB1163 This act allows
Vietnam veterans to receive honorary high school diplomas.
- HB1169 This act clarifies
procedures for termination and non-renewal of teaching contracts.
- HB1170 This act calls for
the certification of distance learning providers and authorizes the Board of
Education to promulgate rules related to distance learning in South Dakota.
- HB1220 This act is the education funding bill. It
provides $4,237.72 of state aid per student.
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