Simplified: The Sioux Falls School Board this week looked at options to pay teachers more and maintain smaller class sizes all while grappling with proposed $2 million budget cuts. Here's how it's shaking out so far.
Why it matters
- The state legislature allocated a 1.4% increase to education this year – after an initial proposal of a 0% increase from Gov. Larry Rhoden. But, that still falls short of the increase codified in state law at either 3% or inflation, whichever is lower. The district is looking at instead increasing pay by 2.5%.
- Despite the need for budget cuts, the Sioux Falls School District wants to remain focused on the "boots on the ground" work of supporting teachers, as Board President Nan Kelly said this week. That's why they're considering increasing teacher pay and implementing new strategies to keep elementary class sizes below 30 as much as possible.
- The district is also looking at ways to curb spending, find efficiencies and even save taxpayers money by reducing the amount of opt-out funding it takes in the next fiscal year. The district could take up to $17.6 million every year above the current property tax limits – but this year it's taken $12 million, and next year the proposal is to drop down to an $11 million opt-out.
"That extra money doesn't just sit in the district's bank account or something like that," Board Member Elizabeth Duffy said. "It is still with the homeowners, and I think that's something a lot of people don't understand."
Tell me more
In addition to proposing giving teachers more money than initially budgeted, the school board this week also explored a few options for keeping class sizes smaller – particularly at the elementary level.
Those include:
- Changing the open enrollment policy to limit how many kids can open enroll based on a smaller average student-teacher ratio.
- Increasing Title 1 federal spending to add another three "class size reduction" teachers in elementary schools with a high percentage of students coming from low-income families.
- Add four additional elementary school positions to fill in the schools with the highest student-teacher ratios.
- Set class size guidelines for elementary school principals to take into consideration.
What happens next?
The board is expected to vote on decisions about the budget at its regular meeting on April 13.
Board Member Nan Kelly also wanted to emphasize to the public that the district is making these cuts out of necessity, but the impact is felt in the district. She also said the district is demonstrating its fiscal responsibility, but that responsibility also falls to the state to hold up their end of the deal in funding education.
"We’re being responsible and acting in good faith," Kelly said. "And we need our counterparts to have that same sentiment and idea and focus because good quality education impacts our communities."
