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District reports 2025 legislative session outcomes; staff urges advocacy
Summary
Staff summarized dozens of bills tracked during the legislative session, noting 6 of 7 supported bills passed, opposition to 41 bills and neutral stances on 25; the board acknowledged the report and members urged voter engagement and advocacy.
A district staff member summarized the 2025 legislative session and how bills tracked by Sioux Falls School District 49-5 fared, noting a mix of outcomes and urging community engagement on education policy.
The presenter said the district tracked about 73 bills: the board-supported seven (six passed, one failed), 41 opposed bills (including six the district identified as key bills), and 25 neutral positions. "Of all the bills that we tracked 73 bills. We supported 7. 6 of those bills passed and 1 failed," the presenter said.
The briefing listed specific measures that passed and that the district opposed or monitored. Items discussed included reductions in some state contributions to teacher and counselor certification reimbursements; changes to when district and city elections must be held; legislation related to restricting minors’ access to obscene materials in libraries and schools; a bill about restroom accommodations and privacy in schools; an age-17 dropout/home-school reporting provision that the district opposed after a proposed amendment failed to be added; and bills affecting school cash-acceptance policies for attendance at activities.
The presenter said the state aid bill set a 1.25% increase rather than the 3% that district law otherwise provides in years tied to inflation, and that the district negotiated salary increases yielding a district-level 1.875% adjustment in practice. The presenter noted some bills carry sunset provisions and that the district had taken neutral positions on several proposals tied to property-tax relief and other state fiscal measures.
Board members responded to the wrap-up with statements urging community engagement. One board member criticized the legislative priorities and urged voters to participate in upcoming elections. Another board member recapped the session as unfriendly to education and urged work on universal preschool and stronger meal funding; others encouraged the board and administration to proactively plan for changes at the state and federal levels.
The board unanimously acknowledged the legislative wrap-up.
