The 'F' word is being used in Pierre when it comes to teachers' salaries

By Gordon Garnos

AT ISSUE: South Dakota's teachers are the lowest paid in the nation in that profession. This is a gray-hair issue for it has been in front of our Legislature for as long as I have been covering the Legislature, or longer.

There is a move now to set a base pay for our beginning teachers. However, will it succeed? By the way, before anyone gets the wrong idea, the "F" word bouncing around the Legislature refers to "funding" teachers' salaries. At the same time, our legislators are discussing a pay raise for themselves. I said in a few columns back that wouldn't happen this session as such an idea is too close to next fall's General Election. But I could be wrong.

TEACHER PAY, should it be a local issues or a state issue? Local school boards have watched this biggest item in their budgets with eyes of an eagle. Consequently, teacher pay has got out of step with the rest of a community's society. There was a time teachers were better paid than they are today. Their buying power was greater than it is today. The result is too many of our teachers are finding other employment.

Some statistics have surfaced that told a most uncomfortable story. Bob O'Connell of the Sioux Fall Chamber of Commerce told the SD Senate Education Committee that in 1995, teacher pay in Sioux Falls was 117 percent of that in the finance and insurance industry and 123 percent of that in manufacturing. At present growth rates, teacher pay in 2015 will be 73 percent of that in finance and insurance and 89 percent of that in manufacturing.

Oh, one could say, that is Sioux Falls. Its numbers aren't ours. If one could make comparisons even in the least populated school district, the revelation would be shocking, even to the most conservative school board member.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS South Dakota is losing a lot of good people. Many of them are not only leaving teaching, they are leaving our state, probably which has always been their homes as few come into South Dakota to teach.

There is no question the state's budget is tight, but if there are priorities set as to where the money should go, teacher salaries should be at the top of the list. South Dakota cannot afford anything else, even though Governor Rounds has set a 2.5 percent increase for the state's aid to education.

There may be a light at the end of the tunnel as far as bumping up this percentage. I only hope that light we see isn't an approaching train. The final bump won't be known until the last day or days of this session.

However, Senator David Knudson, the Senate majority leader, has proposed a
4.25 percent raise for our teachers for next year. If his bill wins that would increase the aid package by about $80 per student if they raised the average salary and benefits of teachers by that percentage.

However, as I have said before, it ain't over till it's over. There are other offers coming from legislators from both houses and both sides of the aisle. Who will win? Governor Rounds and his budget or legislative enablers who find a way to slow down the exodus for South Dakota's teaching profession and give our teachers salaries they deserve?

SPEAKING OF PAY raises, legislators are asking for a raise in their pay in a voice louder than what I have heard in a long time. They now get $6,000 annually and have not had a pay raise for 10 years, although they get an extra per diem check of $110 per day. Together, this amounts to $10,400 per year. One bill, if passed would bounce another $2,000 each in their direction. New Hampshire is the only state that pays less for their legislators. But that's a poor argument for our legislators to use.

Neither this nor a big teachers' raise is yet set in concrete even though this session is now on the down hill slide to its final day March 17.

The arguments for a raise in pay for our legislators range from it might attract more people to serve to a raise is necessary to cover expenses they occur when they are out in their districts doing state's work. The opposition is saying, "We don't need it." Giving our legislators a raise in pay may not be popular with the voting public. An idea here: I wonder what they would get if they received merit pay? Just a thought.

ANOTHER THOUGHT: Even as I wrote last week's column about Senate Bill 120 mandating local governments to use competitive bidding when they borrowed money in the bond market the winds of defeat were in the air. The Senate State Affairs Committee killed the idea on a 5 to 2 vote. Senator Heidepriem was the bill's prime sponsor. Even though competitive bidding on bonds won't be a law, it is still a good idea the next time your town or school board needs to make a big purchase.

AND ANOTHER THOUGHT: The Nebraska Supreme Court has ruled that electrocution is cruel and unusual punishment. Its Legislature will probably choose the more humane lethal injection for execution like they do here in South Dakota. My question: Why do they have to use a sterilized needle?.....


Gordon Garnos was long-time editor of the Watertown Public Opinion and recently retired after 39 years with that newspaper. Garnos, a lifelong resident of South Dakota except for his military service in the U.S. Air Force, was born and raised in Presho.