South Dakota House to Debate New Education Funding Formula

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The state House is set to take up an overhaul of South Dakota's education funding formula that would dictate how the half-cent sales tax increase recently approved by the Legislature for teacher pay would be spent.

Lawmakers are expected to consider the legislation Monday.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard's office says the new funding system would be more transparent than today's formula.

The new plan would base the funding system on a target average teacher salary of $48,500 and would use target student-teacher ratios for schools.

Daugaard's chief of staff, Tony Venhuizen, says the measure will make it easier to have "a good public dialogue" about how school dollars are spent.

The bill would place caps on school reserve funds.

A second proposal aimed at school efficiency is also scheduled for debate.

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