Teacher salaries in South Dakota would be held flat for a year under terms of an amended bill approved by the State House on Tuesday, as lawmakers struggle in tight times to balance the budget.
It’s breaking a promise argued Democratic Leader Spencer Hawley during floor debate.
Hawley is referring to the long struggle over raising the sales tax to raise teacher pay.
Republican David Anderson acknowledged there might be a promise involved, but sometimes promises are reluctantly broken by unexpected events.
The amended bill would delay for a year increasing the state’s average teacher target salary to 48-thousand-985 dollars. The bill started in the State Senate so will have to go back there for a decision on this key amendment.
It is unclear what Governor Dennis Daugaard will think about this. He proposed a one percent increase in education funding, despite the millions of dollars in revenue shortfalls.
(KELO)