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Sioux Falls district presents package of class‑size moves, a higher staff‑pay recommendation and a smaller opt‑out levy
Summary
At a board work session, Dr. Knowles presented budget options that would add elementary teachers (some paid with Title I and some from the general fund), recommend a 2.54% staff pay increase (0.59 points above the negotiated 1.95%), and lower the proposed opt‑out levy to $11,000,000; the board will consider a tentative budget on the 13th.
Dr. Knowles, presenter for Sioux Falls School District 49‑5, told the board at a work session that administration has drafted a package of budget changes that would fund modest elementary class‑size reductions, recommend a staff pay increase equal to the rate of inflation (2.54%), and reduce the proposed local opt‑out levy to $11,000,000.
The proposal bundles four approaches to shrink elementary class sizes: revise the district’s open‑enrollment regulation (JCA‑R) to lower kindergarten caps (from a 20.5 to a 19.5 class‑average trigger); add three Class‑Size Reduction (CSR) teachers at Title schools funded by Title I dollars (about $258,000 for one year); place four additional elementary teachers in non‑Title schools paid from the general fund (about $344,000); and establish administrative standards for principals to manage schedules and staffing. "The first applications, then we do it on space available, and it's all set off of ratios and numbers," Dr. Knowles said while…
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