South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard is continuing his post State of the State tour around the state. In Yankton, he again hit on the theme of moving out of 50th place in the nation in teacher pay. He has proposed a plan that would raise the state sales tax a half cent, and dedicate most of that money to raising the average teacher pay to forty eight thousand dollars.
He says he knows legislators will have issues with that tax increase…
Daugaard says while some districts may have to cut back on the number of teachers they have on staff to hit the ideal ratio, those will be local decisions…
Daugaard says there will be a phase in of several years for districts to get to their ideal ratios…
Legislators return to Pierre today for a four day week after having Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr Day. Daugaard’s stops in Huron and Pierre were canceled due to a death in the Governor’s family.