Committee Kills Ed Funding Bill
Air Date:02/06/2012
The House State Affairs Committee killed a bill that would have set an education funding goal to bring the state in line with surrounding states by 2016. Proponents argue that the state is the one of the lowest in education funding and South Dakota is facing an out-migration of quality teachers. But opponents counter that money doesn't guarantee improved student performance.
By Charles Michael Ray
Democratic State Representative Bernie Hunhoff Prime Sponsor of the Legislation says South Dakota students must be able to compete globally when they graduate.
"In this day and age we're no longer competing against Woonsocket against Watertown against Woolsey we're in a global economy we're competing against Finland and Japan and China and yet we're doing a poor job of even competing against our own region our own state we spend less than any other state by far than any other state in our seven state area. And I'm suggesting let's just try to get to average.
Hunhoff says he doesn't believe that money makes all the difference--but South Dakota should not be on the bottom of the funding scale for schools.
But opponents including the South Dakota Department of Education argued that the governor's program to improve education based on student performance is the right goal.
The bill was killed by a vote of nine to two.
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