PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) — Four percent for teacher salaries means four percent.

The House reiterated this position Thursday on the use of state funds to increase teacher salaries and to get them out of the basement nationally. 

The lower chamber voted 60 to 7 in support of SB127, which was hoghoused–amended–to echo HB1048. However, the Senate amended HB1048.

During the session, legislators have said they are tired of giving school districts increases in the school aid formula, only to see the money they intended to increase teach salaries not used that way by some school boards.

Republican Rep. Mike Stevens from Yankton carried the bill on the House floor. 

“The bill simply stands for this simple thought,” Stevens said. “If the legislature, if we instruct our school boards and our school authorities to set aside a certain amount of money that we allocate, we expect them to do it. And it’s not a suggestion, it’s an order that they do that.”

SB127 sets up, like HB1048, a School Finance Accountability Board within the Department of Education. The Joint Committee on Appropriations or the Interim Committee on Appropriations would review any waivers recommended by the School Finance Accountability Board.

Republican Rep. Tony Venhuizen from Sioux Falls said if teacher salaries are 70% of the district budget, 70% of the state money should go to teacher salaries. 

“The reason that teacher salaries in this state stay low is that schools aren’t willing to prioritize that over the other things when they’re suffering enrollment challenges,” Venhuizen said. “And that’s what we have to stop.”

No House members spoke against the bill. 

The bill now heads back to the Senate for concurrence or a conference committee.