Photo: News Watch file.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Average teacher salaries rose in South Dakota by 22% over the past five years, mostly driven by a hike in the state sales tax, and for a time the state rose in national rankings.
But since then, the state has failed to keep pace with pay increases made by other states and has fallen back to next-to-last in average pay.
Education experts say the state may need to revisit the funding formula for school districts to prevent more teachers from leaving the state for higher wages.
In the 2019-20 school year, Wyoming, the top-paying Great Plains state, paid an average teacher salary of $59,786, almost $11,000 a year more than the South Dakota average of $48,984.
Now, some education officials are calling on lawmakers to find ways to close the teacher pay gap with other states.
In the latest article published by South Dakota News Watch, available here, reporter Megan Raposa provides the data on teacher pay, explains how the state fell behind and shares expert views on what can be done to keep pace with other states.
