Another one in the books

The 2005 legislative session is history. Each year, educators around the state evaluate the success or failure of the session. I will leave the grading to all of you, but since I have been a bit closer to the action over the past two sessions, I have learned much about the legislative process. Here are a few things I have learned.

• There is never enough money to go around. I have worked in three different states and been involved in many legislative sessions. Each and every year, money is the centerpiece to our discussions. Each and every year, educators leave wanting more, and many lawmakers leave believing they did the best they could.
• Legislatives sessions are like negotiations. Even though the session is at the state level, the “dance” is the same. The schools come in with an offer, and the legislature spends several weeks trying to match it or come close. The governor is much like the superintendent of a school district. He has influence but not complete control. Furthermore, when the session is over, attention turns to the business at hand, and we begin preparing for the following year’s session.
• The process works. In order for a bill to become law, it needs to be widely embraced and accepted. Many bills are introduced, but few survive. In order for a bill to surface at the end, it has to pass the legislative litmus test – and that isn’t easy!
• Lobbying is a full-time job. It is clear that legislators are impacted by their experiences. It is important to give our legislators experiences in our schools.  Invite them to join you for a school event. Include them on committees and put them on your mailing list for school publications. We can’t expect legislators to understand education when they don’t experience it.
• Education is a people business. Even though the session can get a bit contentious, educators are able to move on and work together. I am grateful for the cooperation that exists in South Dakota. We may be divided by the river, size or other factors, but we all agree that our goal is to help our students. I continue to be pleased when I hear of educators around the state who are dedicated to helping all students learn.

The Department of Education (DOE) will be a part of the legislative sessions sponsored by the School Administrators and Associated School Boards this spring. If you have questions of DOE staff, you will have a chance to ask them during these sessions. In addition, you will find a wrap-up of this session’s education-related action in this issue of the “Administrative Memorandum.”

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 7^th- or 8^th-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.

Wellness policy requirement serves up healthy schools

By the beginning of school year 2006-07, federal law requires local education agencies (LEAs) that participate in the school lunch program to have a school wellness policy in place. This article addresses some of the questions surrounding this critical topic.

What are the requirements of a wellness policy?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food & Nutrition Service (FNS), a wellness policy should include four basic components:

• nutrition education goals,
• physical activity goals,
• nutrition standards, and
• other school-based activities.

The FNS recommends that local education agencies assess their individual needs before developing a policy. Policies should be reasonable and realistic.

Who should be involved?

When developing a wellness policy, the LEA must involve parents, students, school administrators, the school board, representatives of the school food authority, and the public. The law also says that LEAs must measure the effectiveness of their policies and should designate at least one person – at the district level or in each school – who determines compliance with the policy.  

How do we create a wellness policy?

Start by joining “Team Nutrition,” an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food & Nutrition Service. This initiative, which supports child nutrition programs through training, technical assistance and education, has numerous resources available. To join Team Nutrition, go to www.fns.usda.gov/tn/ and click on “Join the Team.”

You’ll also want to form a team to work on assessing the LEA’s wellness needs. Once this assessment has been done and input has been gathered from local stakeholders, the committee will be ready to develop its wellness policy. Some items for consideration within each component are listed below:

1. Nutrition education: Think about nutrition in the health or physical education curriculum. Consider ways to incorporate nutrition into core classes such as science, math and reading. How can you link the cafeteria to the classroom? Can you provide education for parents and families?

2. Physical activity: Consider the minimum amount of time students are physically active during the school day. Would programs such as walking clubs and before- and after-school activity programs be beneficial? How can you make classrooms more active?

3. Nutrition standards: What are your standards for food products in vending machines or school stores? Do you have guidelines for snacks served in classrooms, especially when it comes to special occasions? What about fund-raising activities that center on food or beverages?

4. Other school-based activities: Think about how you can encourage teachers, parents, administrators, food-service professionals and others to be role models for healthy eating and physical activity. Consider educational opportunities for teachers and staff. Ask questions such as: Do we provide opportunities for students to eat healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables?

The South Dakota Department of Education will be writing a sample policy for schools. In addition, examples of school wellness policies can be found on the Team Nutrition Web site at www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellness_samplepolicies.html.

New online tool provides national analysis of schools

A new Web site, www.schoolmatters.com, has been introduced by the Education Data Partnership. The site provides a range of student achievement and financial data for each of the 50 states.

According to its developers, the free online service is designed to be a resource for policy makers, education leaders and parents to help drive student improvement. It provides a unique perspective of student performance by examining academic data in tandem with district finances – within the context of community and student demographics.         

In the months ahead, the South Dakota Department of Education will continue to work with the Education Data Partnership to provide appropriate data.