Back in July, South Dakota was basking in a budget surplus. But as we continue to hoard huge budget reserves, Governor Dennis Daugaard prepares to play Soup Nazi on the schools again. No 3% for you, K-12!
Governor’s office Director of Policy and Communications Tony Venhuizen joined ASBSD’s [Associated School Boards of South Dakota] Board of Directors at their November meeting to discuss K-12 education funding.
Venhuizen hinted slow revenue growth would lead Gov. Daugaard to propose a 1.6 percent increase for K-12, Medicaid and state government. The state is required by law to provide an increase in funding of three percent or the change in CPI-W, whichever is less.
“Going into this year we saw revenue growth that was pretty soft,” Venhuizen said. “We have money now to do the minimum.”
Remember, this is the same fiscally conservative administration that doesn't have time or guts to try recovering over a half a million dollars out of which someone at Northern Beef Packers and SDRC cheated the state. It's apparently easier to make up that loss by shorting the schools. Again.
Prior to Venhuizen's bad-news visit, ASBSD delegates approved four major legislative priorities. They want a 3.8% increase in the state's per-student funding allocation, which would bring the FY2015 PSA up to where it was four fiscal years ago, before Daugaard had to fix the Rounds deficit. They also want to turn the funding law Venhuizen cites upside down, turning the 3% ceiling into a 2% floor.
Tangential Postscript: But to demonstrate that nobody's perfect, the ASBSD also supports forcing every K-12 student in South Dakota to recite the Pledge of Allegiance (see Resolution B-7 in the ASBSD Legislative Resolutions packet). Sigh.
And that is why it would take the perfect job for me to teach in South Dakota
An increase? Why? There's no inflation to speak of...just ask the Guvermint, they'll tell you-no inflation, nope, none or maybe just a little. Can't think of any reason folks would need more money.
How about that $125 million the state is getting from the big banks? That would help the education fun a little bit!!!!!!!!!
South Dakota could have the best schools in the nation. All they have to do is tax the big banks what they should be taxed. They would have all the money they needed.
What, no note about ASBSD delegates' vote to unanimously support Common Core? And no mention about ASBSD delegates vote to support the only resolution from the floor (from yours truly) to increase accountability and transparency in the SDHSAA? Maybe those will be separate posts?
Education got a big cut during the recession with the belief that they would get it back afterwards, they have not. It was equal cuts, but it hasn't been equal raises.
Rounds accepted Education money from the federal government and used some accounting tricks to not give education any of the money.
In general it is true inflation hasn't gone up, or at least not much, however at the same time certain things are required to go up. Built in raises for teachers, insurance, expenses. The schools pay, and they do it one of two ways, through the state, or they just pass it onto the locals. Daugaard may say he is not raising taxes, but he is.
Oh, Fred, you know I'm just trying to run interference for the ASBSD against the hard-core conservatives. I'm hoping the tangential postscript on forced patriotism will distract the Tea Party from ASBSD's big-spending liberality. Throw in their endorsement of Common Core, and oh my! Pitchforks!
A subsequent post or two may be in order -- ASBSD does offer a broad array of resolutions. Care to pen a guest post, Fred?
Wondering if any school newspaper will run a story on the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. It would be good that the kids in school new the history, why it was written...cue cynicism on the fact it was to make money...and the original salute that went with the Pledge.
The fact that kids could learn about government forced patriotism, patriotism for profit and irony in one lesson would be invaluable.
I'm surprised that none of the mainstream press in SD have written about this.
The GOP have given the Dems so much to actually run against. They could offer so many clear distinctions and be able to point to contradiction after contradiction if they can mount a clear and effective message system. I think that there are a lot of GOP and independents that want something else.
Such as Stan Gibilisco.
Right Stan. I hear that everywhere I go, "Where is Gibilisco? We need Gibilisco? Gibilisco will straighten all this out. We need someone we can trust. We need Gibilisco!!!"
I think that counts as a rant, Deb. Lol.
Deb,
I knew it!!
Stan Gibilisco is one of those independents who wants something else ...
... He said, as the surgeon sewed his severed head back on.
Funny. You've got a good attitude. I was pretty sure I could tease you with no repercussions.
Glad you liked my rant(?) Bree.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/bite+head+off