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Superintendent outlines bills on vouchers, savings accounts and other education proposals; takes public stance on vouchers
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Steinhoff reviewed legislation filed ahead of the South Dakota legislative session — including two voucher-related bills — and read a public stance opposing vouchers unless they carry the same accountability and reporting requirements as public schools.
Superintendent Dr. Steinhoff used the Jan. 13 board meeting to preview several education bills filed ahead of the South Dakota legislative session and to present a written public stance on school vouchers.
Dr. Steinhoff highlighted two voucher-related bill drafts: House Bill 10009 (described in the meeting as “educational empowerment credits”) and House Bill 1020 (described as “education savings accounts”). He summarized key provisions as presented in the bills: HB 10009 would create educational empowerment credits that could be used for private tuition, fees for extracurricular activities, textbooks, therapies, registration and transportation, with the Department of Education responsible for applications and random audits; HB 1020 would establish education savings accounts with deposits equal to 40% of the per-student equivalent, a process for DOE to review applications, and similar audit provisions. He told the board the empowerment-credits bill did not specify an amount per student in the text he reviewed.
Dr. Steinhoff said the bills he reviewed do not require qualifying private schools to accept the same data reporting or accountability standards expected of public schools, and he urged trustees to read House Bills 10009 and 1020. He also noted other bills of potential interest to the district, including a property-tax reduction bill (HB 1019) that could affect school funding; a bill affecting reimbursement for nationally board-certified counselors (HB 1039); changes to dual-credit cost-sharing (HB 1040); a bill to require cash acceptance at school events (HB 1017); the general appropriations bill (Senate Bill 55); and a bill that would require posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms (Senate Bill 51).
Dr. Steinhoff then read a portion of a prepared statement titled “Public stance on school vouchers in South Dakota.” In that statement he wrote: “I stand in opposition to school vouchers unless the same accountability and reporting are required from those receiving the voucher.” He noted that, as a public-school superintendent, he is held to a list of annual accountability and reporting requirements (he said there are 16 bullet points that he signs off on each year) and said private schools and alternative instruction options are legitimate family choices but should follow the same accountability if public funds are used.
The board discussion that followed was supportive of the superintendent’s emphasis on accountability; no formal board action on the bills or the statement was taken at the meeting, and Dr. Steinhoff’s comments were presented as information for trustees.
