GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM PROPOSES SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM TO ‘PRIORITIZE EDUCATION’ BUT CRITICS SAY IT WILL UNDERMINE IT
PIERRE, S.D. (Makenzie Huber / South Dakota Searchlight) – A $4 million proposal by South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem to help students enroll in private school and other forms of alternative instruction would undermine public education by diverting state money to unaccountable entities, opponents say.
Supporters of the plan say it would allow the state to start educational reform that’s gained momentum nationwide while lowering education costs, forcing public education to innovate and offering South Dakota students tailored education to best meet their learning needs.
Noem pitched the creation of education savings accounts, or ESAs, to lawmakers at her annual budget address Tuesday in Pierre as a way to continue to “prioritize education” without cutting public education funds.
“Good education starts in the home,” Noem said. “And parents should have the tools to choose what educational path is best for their kids.”
The program would cover about $3,000 per student annually to pay for a portion of private school tuition or curriculum for alternative education, Noem said. She hopes to expand the program eventually, but she might not be around to act on that plan. President-elect Donald Trump has picked her as his nominee to lead the federal Department of Homeland Security, which means she could resign as governor as soon as late January, elevating Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden to serve the rest of her term.
The program would be for “families who meet eligibility requirements,” according to information in Noem’s budget, and Noem’s spokesman said the requirements will include being low-income. Sixteen other states already allow families to use taxpayer funds for ESAs.
The proposal comes as South Dakota sees one of the highest rises in alternative instruction in the nation. Across the state, alternatively enrolled students account for about 6.5% of the school-age population, based on public, non-public and alternative enrollment data from the state Department of Education. Alternative instruction includes homeschooling and private schools that are unaccredited or accredited by an entity other than the state, such as online, hybrid and microschools.
Lawmakers and education lobbyists in Pierre are eager to learn the details about Noem’s proposed legislation – especially how the state will ensure oversight and accountability, how students are chosen for the program and how it’ll fit into the state’s ongoing expenses.
“We have homework to do,” said incoming Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls, a former member of the legislative budgeting committee who supports the school choice movement. “We have to go look at this and figure out how to implement this responsibly.”
Sandra Waltman, director of public affairs for the South Dakota Education Association, said any entity that accepts public funding should be held to the same standards as public education, such as testing requirements and anti-discrimination policies. Alternative instruction students are currently not required to take standardized tests or present a portfolio to demonstrate educational progress. Private schools aren’t obligated to serve all students, so they can deny admission and educational services, Waltman added.
“When you’re taking those precious funds and diverting them from public schools, you’re undermining what public schools can do for students,” Waltman said. “There’s no assurance the money they’re investing in education is actually making a difference.”
Noem didn’t propose cutting public education to fund the program, but proposed a state funding increase to public education of 1.25%. The inflation rate this year is 3.2%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
Lower-than-expected sales tax collections primarily drive the leaner $7.29 billion budget Noem proposed Tuesday, which also includes cuts to some state departments and programs.
That signals to Rob Monson, executive director of School Administrators of South Dakota, that lawmakers will challenge the feasibility of ESAs.
“Some legislators will look at public education serving over 80% of students in the state and think, ‘If we have extra money, maybe we should obligate that to a program we’re already obligated to fund instead of funding a new program with ongoing dollars,’” Monson said.
Efforts to create ESA programs failed twice in the Legislature in recent years, largely due to questions about financial feasibility, said Brookings Republican Rep. Mellissa Heermann, a member of the House Education Committee.
South Dakota must be intentional with the “small pot” of tax revenue it has to work with, Heermann said. She added that there are already school programs in place to help address students’ mental health, behavioral and learning needs.
“I don’t know that vouchers would be as impactful as other programs,” Heermann said. “The timing doesn’t feel right to me to embark on something like this when we’re already trying to reduce costs as much as possible.”
Incoming House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish, said the proposal focuses on educating students, rather than supporting a public education system that’s weighed down by overhead costs and top-heavy administrative costs. An ESA program could force local districts to decentralize, adapt and focus more on students’ education, he said.
“No entity evolves until it’s forced,” Odenbach said.
SOUTH DAKOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL MARTY JACKLEY URGES U.S. SENATE CONFIRMATION OF PAM BONDI FOR UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL
PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley is part of a 30-member coalition of Attorneys General and Attorneys General-elect who are urging the United States Senate to swiftly confirm Pam Bondi as the next United States Attorney General in January.
“I served with Pam when she was the Florida Attorney General, and she will be a strong advocate for public safety,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Pam is the right person to put the U.S. Justice Department back on the proper track.”
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Minority Whip John Thune, the South Dakota Senator who becomes Senate Majority Leader in January, the Attorneys General group praised Nominee Bondi for her passion for justice, commitment to the rule of law, and her efforts against human trafficking and illegal drugs.
Other Attorneys General and Attorneys General-elect on the letter are from: Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
THREAT LEADS TO LOCKDOWN AT EDGEMONT SCHOOL
EDGEMONT, S.D. – Fall River County Deputies swiftly responded to a reported threat at Edgemont School on the morning of December 3, 2024.
Shortly after 9 a.m., Fall River County Dispatch received a 911 call reporting that a student had threatened harm to a teacher and other students. The student reportedly left the school and was believed to be heading home to retrieve a weapon.
In response, Edgemont School initiated an immediate lockdown. Deputies located the student at their residence shortly afterward. The individual was taken into custody without incident and was not in possession of any weapons.
There were no reported injuries, and the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident. Authorities emphasized that all details currently released are preliminary. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING MISSING TEEN AT NORFOLK, NEBRASKA MOTEL
NORFOLK, NE – A Norfolk man is charged with sexual assault after authorities pulled a teen from a motel last month.
Prosecutors charged 31-year-old Skyler Hungerford with a single count of first-degree sexual assault of a child this week. The charge comes after police found a missing 15-year-old girl in the man’s company, according to an arrest affidavit.
The Norfolk Police Division responded to the Norfolk Country Inn on Nov. 27 around 6:20 p.m. Officers were alerted to a girl who went missing in Stanton County who’d been staying with Hungerford at the motel.
The girl was returned to her family, and then she was taken to the hospital after speaking out about a sexual assault that happened at the motel, police wrote.
Officers learned that Hungerford had picked the girl up the day before and checked out a room with her. The girl was then sexually assaulted, prosecutors allege. Authorities think the two spent much of Nov. 27 together before the girl’s family became aware of her whereabouts and contacted police.
Hungerford was questioned at the police station and ultimately arrested. At his arraignment Tuesday, a judge set his bond at 10% of $250,000. He’s expected back in court on Dec. 10.
MAN ARRESTED FOLLOWING VEHICLE PURSUIT THROUGH TWO NORTHEAST NEBRASKA COUNTIES
DAKOTA COUNTY, NE – Nebraska State Patrol Troopers arrested a man Monday after a pursuit in northeast Nebraska.
At 3:20 p.m., NSP was alerted that Thurston County deputies were in pursuit of a Ford Focus on Highway 9 near Emerson. Troopers responded to assist.
As the vehicle entered Dakota County on Highway 35, a trooper successfully deployed stop sticks to slow the vehicle. Troopers then took over the pursuit.
After about a mile, the driver veered off the road into a ravine and attempted to flee on foot. A trooper used a taser to subdue him, taking him into custody.
The suspect, Kerry Moore, 50, of Cleveland, Ohio, was medically cleared at Pender Hospital and transferred to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office for charges, according to NSP.
