With the ever-present teacher pay battle front of mind for many, South Dakota has once again climbed the national rankings.
South Dakota is now ranked number 46 in America for teacher pay, according to the National Education Organization. While a step up from recent rankings in last, it’s still well behind the curve of the rest of the nation.
Despite this, South Dakota Education Association public affairs director Sandra Waltman said its an undeniable step in the right direction.
“We knew there would probably be a significant increase, so we were happy to see we were up from 49," Waltman said. "I think you can credit that to the legislature for two or three years of giving more than the three percent.”
Waltman said it’s proof of lessons learned recent efforts targeting state teacher pay.
“The Blue Ribbon Task Force showed that when you invest in public schools, you invest in educators," Waltman said. "That investment in educators ensures that students have qualified, caring teachers in the classroom. This will help stave off a worsening teacher shortage, if we can keep our increases moving forward.”
Despite this, with only a 1.25 percent increase in 2025, Waltman said there are still concerns teachers and administrators are tangling with.
“We just would encourage lawmakers to make education funding a priority, and we hope if they see these numbers, they see how these dollars get invested, they will realize the value of that investment," Waltman said.
Forty-six is the highest ever ranking South Dakota has ever earned, and the average teacher earns just over $56,000 per year.