PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is asking the Legislature to approve a 6% increase in funding for public school districts, which could pave the way for higher wages for teachers and support staff.
Advocates hope that’s the case, while acknowledging there’s a lot to consider. Comments from Loren Paul, president, South Dakota Education Association.
South Dakota’s teachers’ union says while there are still a lot of unknowns, it’s hopeful the governor’s budget proposal leads to pay increases for teachers and support staff.
This week, Governor Kristi Noem suggested a six-percent increase in school district aid, with the idea of that money going toward higher pay for staff. Loren Paul, president of the South Dakota Education Association, says schools still are struggling with a shortage of not only teachers, but also paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians and food workers. And now, districts have to compete with other industries looking to boost pay to fill their vacant positions.
| “And we’re still trying to hire somebody at $12 and $13 an hour, so this is really needed to get some of those wages up so we can compete,” Paul said. |
As for teachers, South Dakota recently fell back to 50th in the nation when it comes to state-by-state pay rankings. Paul says it’s expected that some lawmakers will push for smaller increase in state aid when the Legislature debates budget issues early next year.
The association stresses that even if the six-percent increase is adopted by the state, districts do have discretion to spend the aid in other areas. Paul says many are feeling budget pressure in other ways.
| “The cost of natural gas is gonna go up, and that costs the school districts more and everything, so I mean they have other overheads to worry about,” Paul said. |
But he says the shortage of educators facing most school districts will make it harder for them to operate their buildings. He hopes that argument will convince school boards to boost wages if the state comes through with higher funding levels.
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