A Sioux Falls School District educator works with students. (Courtesy of Sioux Falls School District)
South Dakota lawmakers haven’t made major changes to education funding and teacher pay in eight years.
But that could change this legislative session.
The last time the Legislature made major reforms was a half-percent sales tax increase in 2016 to boost the state’s last-in-the-nation ranking for average teacher pay. That infusion raised average teacher pay by nearly 12%, and bumped South Dakota from last to 47th in the nation.
Since then, South Dakota has fallen back to 49th in average teacher salaries (out of 51 states, due to the inclusion of Washington, D.C.).
Rep. Tony Venhuizen, R-Sioux Falls, served on the Blue Ribbon Task Force in 2016 that proposed the sales tax increase when he was chief of staff for then-Gov. Dennis Daugaard. He’s introduced one of three bills this session that address teacher pay and education funding. His bill would set a minimum teacher salary.
“My intention is really to just cut to the chase of the conversation,” Venhuizen said. “We really want to get the teacher salaries up. Is it time for the Legislature to just be more direct and say, ‘This is the standard we’re going to set’?”