2008 Legislature:
Get the lowdown on what’s up

While Jan. 8 marks the kickoff of a new legislative session, many of the ensuing discussions will center on familiar topics. What’s in store for the 2008 session? Here’s the lowdown on a few items that will hit the docket.

• School funding. As usual, school funding will be the topic of much debate. Gov. Mike Rounds proposed a 2.5 percent increase in per-pupil funding during his budget address in December. School districts and some legislators will likely push for more than that.
• Pre-kindergarten. The Department of Education will introduce a bill that would give the South Dakota Board of Education authority to establish standards for pre-kindergarten programs. Currently, no quality-control mechanisms exist. The bill clearly states that pre-K programs are voluntary. A similar bill failed to make it out of the House Education Committee last year.
• Laptops. The Governor has proposed spending $2.9 million to fund the third year of the South Dakota Classroom Connections initiative. In a recent department-sponsored survey, 40 districts expressed interest in participating in the next round of laptop funding!
• Growing enrollment. Under current statute, the requirement to receive extra dollars for growing enrollment is set at 5 percent growth or 25 students. The department will introduce a bill that would change the requirement to 10 percent growth.
• Interstate enrollment. This bill would give the Department of Education the ability to enter into open enrollment and/or tuition regulation agreements with any bordering state. Currently, South Dakota has statutes allowing for open enrollment agreements with North Dakota and Iowa, but those statutes do not allow for tuition regulation. The bill would pave the way for tuition regulation, and it would provide consistency when establishing agreements with other states.
• Funding formula clean-up. The department will introduce several bills that seek to clean up pieces of the funding formula. One, for example, clarifies minimum district size and the effective date for a reorganization bill.
• Consolidation incentives. This bill would change consolidation incentives so that newly reorganized districts receive incentive money only for those students that actually show up in their fall enrollment count – up to 400 students. It also increases the amount per student of the incentive.
• Teacher Compensation Assistance Program. This bill would allow cooperatives and multi-districts to apply for TCAP funds for their teachers who teach in the public school system. It would require no additional funding.

To listen to an interview with Education Secretary Rick Melmer regarding his take on this year’s legislative session, click here.