A bill to require schools to hit statewide teacher pay targets has advanced from the state House of Representatives.
This comes years after the Blue Ribbon Task Force aimed to elevate the states near-bottom teacher pay.
South Dakota has consistently ranked last or second-last nationwide when it comes to state teacher pay. HB 1048 aims to require school districts to hit targeted pay increases for their educators. Further, 1048 also sets a statewide salary floor for teachers. That minimum salary would be $45,000 by 2025.
Yankton Republican Rep. Mike Stevens, House Pro Tempore, said it’s a much needed follow up to the 2017 Blue Ribbon Task Force.
“The benchmark, made six years ago, quite frankly is no longer valid and it’s a useless benchmark," Stevens said. "If a bill is not passed this year there will be no official accountability in law, and all that work done many, many years ago is really in jeopardy.”
Stevens said the state teacher compensation review board has found South Dakota is once again falling behind nearby states teacher pay rates.
“Clearly if every school district was complying to the purpose of the Blue Ribbon Taskforce, we wouldn’t be here today," Stevens said. "There may be many legitimate reasons why a school district is not, but there are also means to correct that problem. House Bill 1048 addresses those consequences. To meet the benchmark, each school district has until the school year of 2026-27 to be in compliance.”
Stevens said 85 percent of state schools are either already compliant with the new target or are within $1,000 of compliance. If a district cannot meet these goals within three years, Stevens said districts will need to “make hard decisions.” That includes decisions like reducing services, consolidating or closing schools, or even reducing staffing.
The weight of these decisions did turn heads for some lawmakers. Ideal Republican Rep. Rocky Blare said this proposal puts too much pressure on school districts.
“There’s some huge issues here that I think could be addressed, and when you’re looking at pulling accreditation that’s a death sentence for a school," Blare said. "Having that as part of the heavy hand of law that we’re going to put on them schools, if nothing else I’d have you seriously look at that. Then look at the benefit packages requiring everything to go up four percent if we give them four percent. We need to be careful in how we draft this.”
Ultimately, the bill advanced from the House on a 58-9 vote Tuesday.