Ben Nesselhuf for South Dakota—Democratic Candidate for Secretary of State

BY SEN. BEN NESSELHUF

The Legislature just finished its sixth week of the 2010 legislative session. The Legislature has begun to consider more bills that have the potential to greatly impact the lives of the people of South Dakota.

As always, education has become a top priority of mine this Legislative session. As a member of the Senate Education Committee, I have had the opportunity to consider a variety of bills that will affect our state’s educational system. One bill in particular greatly impacts our state’s funding for K-12 education and will be a major improvement to our state’s education system.

I have long been a proponent of changing the funding formula for our state’s K-12 education. The current system does not adequately provide the funding needed to offer the students of our state the education they deserve. These young students are the future leaders of our state and giving them the education they need to succeed is essential to the future success of South Dakota.

SB 124, a bill sponsored by Sen. Dave Knudson of Sioux Falls, will change the funding formula for our state’s K-12 schools by linking educational funding to the projected change in state general fund revenue. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and the full Senate Chamber with my support. The bill has now moved to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Currently, education is funded at a rate of 3 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. SB 124 would increases funding to 4 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is higher, and links the state’s revenues to educational funding. Had the education funding formula in this bill been in place in prior years, education in South Dakota would have received much more funding.

However, the downfall of the bill is that in years state revenue does not increase, funding for education will not increase. Therefore, next year the increase for educational funding will be 0 percent. Sen. Sandy Jerstad of Sioux Falls offered an amendment in committee and on the floor of the Senate that would provide a 1.2 percent increase for educational funding next year. The amendment received my support but failed in the Senate by one vote.

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Even though the bill does not provide for an increase in education funding for next year, the bill is an improvement to the funding formula that is currently in place. In tough economic times like these, we must all be fiscally responsible including the state’s Legislature. However, educational funding must always remain a priority to ensure a bright future for our state.

I look forward to continuing to serve you and the people of District 17 as the legislative session begins to wind down. Please feel free to contact me if you have any comments or concerns. I can be reached at sen.nesselhuf@state.sd.us or at 605-624-6178, my home phone.