BROOKINGS The Brookings School Board met with area legislators Tuesday and discussed state education funding.
In her budget address, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem proposed creating a $4 million education savings account program to give $3,000 per child to families choosing private school or homeschooling over public school. The governor said the program would not impact public school funding.
This is not a school choice bill. Its a de-fund public education bill, District 7 Rep. Mellissa Heermann, R-Brookings, said. In South Dakota, we have school choice now. We have all the choice and not a lot of oversight. There are very few to none as I can think of programs where we would hand out money and have no oversight over where that money goes.
District 7 Rep. Roger DeGroot, R-Brookings, said if the program passes this year, its funding could easily balloon later.
Once thats in that general budget the appropriations they never have to come back to the House or the Senate to get it approved, except in the general bill. They can up that and nobodys going to vote against the general bill, I think, just to kill that, DeGroot said. The moderates are organized, and were going to work together as much as we can. That ESA is going to be that educational savings account thats going to be a tough one.
District 7 Sen. Tim Reed, R-Brookings, said behind the scenes legislative organizing is already happening and a lot could change before the general budget vote.
Ive been through this for two different terms or sessions, and knowing how organized we are going into this session where usually we start that during-session organization I think thats going to be very, very helpful, Reed said. Because when the (general budget) comes to the floor, its kind of an up or down vote for it. You could offer amendments, but in my eight years Ive never seen that done.
Brookings Superintendent Summer Schultz said private schools do not currently have to admit all the students that public schools are obligated to enroll.
Im not opposed to choice. I honestly had 11 years in Dell Rapids and had a strong relationship with Dell Rapids St. Marys, so Im not against school choice, Schultz said. But if you say, parent choice it should also include students on disabilities and students with behavioral and mental health issues. That parent choice, I believe, should be for all parents not just for parents whose children fit a mold.
Heermann said if private schools and homeschooling parents are going to receive taxpayer dollars, they should be subject to government oversight.
Wheres that money coming to, is it the appropriate use for it and do we have any oversight? If the money is being used, how is it being used? Heermann said. If I am going to use taxpayer dollars to go, lets say put a tennis court or pickleball is maybe a more appropriate example for Brookings in a public park, that makes sense, right? If Im going to go use taxpayer dollars and put a pickleball court in a private club, that leaves you with a different feeling.
She said blocking the educational savings account bill will be a top priority.
We dont pick the bill. The bill comes to us, and we vote red or green, Heermann said. But we see all sorts of things as far as bills. And often Ill be like, Well, this probably isnt the hill we need to die on. But when it comes to this program, this is the hill. And I really think that were going to have to link arms a little bit and walk this together. Because its been in the works for a long time, it will be very organized and I think we all want to be on the same page moving forward.
The governors budget also includes a 1.25% increase in public education funding. DeGroot said thats lower than the consumer price index.
Again that 1.25% I think every legislator out there will say thats a starting point. Because CPI is 2.4 to 2.6, DeGroot said. Ive visited with leadership on the Democrat side already about some of these issues, and theyre in our camp. So we need to work with the Democrats and the common sense or moderate Republicans.
Heermann said Noems budget is just a blueprint and not a final plan.
Thats not the legislatures budget, but its our starting point. And its nice to have an idea of what her priorities are, Heermann said. Her presenting this proposal is just the first step of the process. So we are very hopeful as I talk to our colleagues were very hopeful to re-visit a lot of those items. But it certainly isnt a rubber stamp situation.
School board members also voiced concerns about plans to require all juniors in public school to take the ACT starting in spring 2026. The ACT will replace the states own assessment test for juniors.
(The ACT is) a college entrance exam. All its going to do is discourage kids, because youre going to have kids taking that exam of all levels, special needs kids, whatever and its going to make them feel inferior, school board member Debra Debates said. Its not going to do anything to build their support for education. And its not the type of test that was meant to be delivered as a test or assessment of what theyve accomplished in their junior year.
The decision to make the ACT mandatory was made by Secretary of Education Joseph Graves and not the state legislature. In the 2023-24 school year, 58% of eligible students statewide took the ACT. In Brookings that year, 30% of eligible students took the test.
The next legislative session begins Jan. 14.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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