School Board Hears Legislative Update: Governor Recommends 0% Increase for Schools
- Steve Jurrens
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - During last night’s administrative reports, Superintendent Dr. Jeff Danielsen provided the Watertown School Board with an update on recent legislative developments in Pierre, most notably the Governor’s proposed budget address and anticipated bills concerning property tax relief and school cell phone policies.
Dr. Danielsen reported that the Governor’s recent budget address recommended a 0% increase in state funding for K-12 education.
Dr. Danielsen highlighted that the lack of a recommended increase for schools is not comparable to the other two categories, often referred to as the “big three” (Medicaid and state employees). While Medicaid has mandatory escalator pieces and the state employee budget includes a built-in health insurance increase, the K-12 funding percentage directly impacts the per-student allocation. Local districts, in turn, must figure out how to allocate that money to cover essential costs such as salaries and benefits without a separate percentage increase earmarked for those needs.
Dr. Danielsen stated that he plans to work with legislators to advocate for increased education funding potential as the legislative session progresses.
The superintendent also provided updates on two areas expected to draw significant attention during the upcoming session:
· Property Tax Relief: Dr. Danielsen noted that a property tax relief task force recently met, and the district anticipates several bills aimed at reducing property taxes. He expressed concern that the majority of the task force’s recommendations would likely “not see much support from the public schools in South Dakota.”
· Cell Phone Policy: A potential statewide bill on cell phone use in schools is also anticipated. Dr. Danielsen reminded the board and the public that the Watertown School District already has a policy addressing this concern:
o K-8 Level: Cell phones are not permitted in the classroom and must be stored in a locker or backpack, making them unavailable during the school day.
o High School: Students can possess their phones but must place them in designated caddies upon entering a classroom.
Dr. Danielsen said that the district’s current practice effectively addresses the primary concern of cell phone bans—which is maintaining productivity and attention in the classroom—without incurring the high cost and logistical challenges of mandated statewide solutions, such as magnetic security pouches.
In closing, Dr. Danielsen also reminded the board and public that the district will dismiss for Christmas break on December 23rd, with students returning on January 6th.
