By Tyler Pickner

Director of Communications

The second week of legislative session has brought a few more bills to ASBSD’s Billtracker, bringing the total number of bills we’re tracking to 30, at this point – with our position being 10 oppose, 4 support and 16 monitor.

Here’s a brief overview of what happened this week on key pieces of legislation:

Voucher bills

There are currently two voucher bills in the legislature – House Bill 1009 & House Bill 1020 – and ASBSD opposes both. HB 1009, which creates and funds a private school voucher program, had a hearing in House Education on Wednesday (1/22), but action was deferred until next week (1/29) so a fiscal note on the program’s cost can be completed.

The S.D. Bureau of Finance and Management testified they expected the program to cost the state more than $150 million.

“This bill diverts significant taxpayer dollars to private schools,” ASBSD Executive Director Heath Larson testified during the bill’s hearing, adding “the fiscal impact of this bill” is substantive to the state.

HB 1020 – the voucher bill Gov. Kristi Noem proposed – is expected to have a hearing in front of the House Education committee on Wednesday, January 29. Please look for a LAN Alert from us to share your opposition to the bill with committee members.

Ten Commandments bill

Senate Bill 51, which requires the posting of the Ten Commandments and accompanying documents in every classroom in every school building, passed the Senate Education Committee on a 4-3 vote.

ASBSD opposes the bill with Larson noting during testimony the Ten Commandments “were not part of the recent social studies standards” approved by the Board of Education Standards and set to be implemented next school year and the requirement to teach them that is in the bill is “circumventing the process” of standards adoption and curriculum adoption at the local level.

SB 51 is expected to be debated and voted on by the full Senate on Monday (1/27).

Open Meetings Review bill

A bill mandating an annual review of the open meeting laws of the state by school boards and other forms of local and state governments passed the Senate Local Government committee and full Senate unanimously and heads across the Capitol hall to the House.

ASBSD is monitoring SB 74 and will provide guidance on its requirements for school boards should it pass through the legislative process.

For updates on all the bills we are tracking check our Billtracker page and if you have questions, please contact me at tpickner@asbsd.org or at 605-773-8382.

Join fellow South Dakota public school supporters on Thursday, February 13 at the Capitol Building in Pierre for the Stand with Public Education Event!

The Langford School District is organizing the Stand with Public Education Event and has reserved the President and Speaker lobbies in the House and Senate from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the opportunity to speak with legislators and

Lunch will be served our Senators & Representatives lunch during that time.

Click here for more information about the event.

All supporters of our public schools wishing to attend Stand with Public Education Event are welcome to this free event and registration is not required to attend.

If you would like to contribute to the event to help offset costs for the Langford School District, donations can be sent to: Langford Area School, PO Box 127, Langford, SD 57454.

If you have question about the event or would like to volunteer to help at it, contact Langford Area School Board President Jenn Gustafson at joejenngus@gmail.com or at 605-290-1163.

by Naomi Cromwell

Director of Policy & Legal Services

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order calling for termination of programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in Federal government, including all mandates, policies, preferences, and activities promoting DEI.

This was followed on January 21, 2025, by a Presidential Action which ordered certain actions be taken to begin implementing the Executive Order.

The impact these Orders will have on K-12 education is not clear at this time. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Education are directed to jointly issue guidance within 120 days of the Order to all State and local educational agencies that receive Federal funds, as well as all institutions of higher education that receive Federal grants or participate in the Federal student loan assistance program.

ASBSD will be watching for that guidance as well as any further information on this important issue, and will provide updates as this develops.

The 2025 election cycle for the ASBSD Board of Directors has begun and school board members from your district can run for election in the region and enrollment category in which your district is in.

Those region and enrollment categories include:

• Southeast region with enrollment 700-1,399
• Beresford, Canton, Dakota Valley, Dell Rapids, Flandreau, Lennox, Madison Central, Tri-Valley, Vermillion, Wagner Community, West Central
• Western region with enrollment 265 & Under
• Bison, Edgemont, Elk Mountain, Faith, Harding County, Lemmon, Newell, Oelrichs

Eligible board members interested in running for a four-year term on the Board of Directors must download and complete the Announcement of Candidacy form, which you can download by CLICKING HERE, and return it to ASBSD by Thursday, February 20, 2025.

Send completed forms to ASBSD Executive Secretary Katie Mitchell-Boe by email to katie@asbsd.org, by fax to 605-773-2501 or by mail to ASBSD at P.O. Box 1059, Pierre SD, 57501.

Only one school board member per district may sit on the ASBSD Board of Directors.

If you have questions, please contact Director of Communications Tyler Pickner at tpickner@asbsd.org or at 605-773-8382.

Legislative Cracker Barrels in your area offer access to your local legislators, as well as the chance to hear their answers on a variety of legislative topics.

Below you will find a list of dates and locations of legislative cracker barrels being held throughout South Dakota that have been posted thus far.

Please send any dates and locations of legislative cracker barrels in your area that are not listed below to Tyler at tpickner@asbsd.org and we will add them to the list, which is still being and will be updated throughout session.

Aberdeen:

In the Kessler’s Champions Club in the Barnett Center on the NSU campus from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Saturday, January 25
• Saturday, February 8
• Saturday, February 22

Belle Fourche:

At Branding Iron Steak House beginning at 1 p.m.

• Saturday, January 25

Brandon:

At the Bethany Meadows Brandon Community Room from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

• Saturday, February 8

Brookings:

In the City/County Government Center beginning at 9 a.m.

• Saturday, February 1
• Saturday, February 22

Canton

Location to be determined beginning at 12 p.m.

• Saturday, February 1

Clear Lake

At the Municipal Building beginning at 9 a.m.

• Saturday, January 25

Deadwood:

In the Deadwood Gulch Resort in the Creek Side Convention Center beginning at 10 a.m.

• Saturday, March 1

Highmore

In the West Wing of the Hyde County Auditorium beginning at 9:30 a.m.

• Saturday, January 25

Huron:

At City Hall from 9 to 10 a.m.

• Saturday, February 1
• Saturday, February 22
• Saturday, March 8

Mitchell:

At the Chamber of Commerce building from 8 to 9 a.m.

• Friday, January 31

Newell:

At Newell City Hall beginning at 9:30 a.m.

• Saturday, January 25

Onida:

At the Sully Area Library beginning at 1 p.m.

• Friday, January 31

Piedmont:

Piedmont Valley American Legion Post from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

• Saturday, February 15

Pierre:

In the Chamber of Commerce Community Room from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

• Saturday, February 1

Rapid City:

In the Event Center at the Western Dakota Tech Event Center from 9 to 11 a.m.

• Saturday, February 1
• Saturday, February 15
• Saturday, March 8

Redfield:

At the C&NW Historic Railroad Depot beginning at 1 p.m.

• Monday, February 17

Selby:

At the Selby Community Center beginning at 10:30 a.m.

• Saturday, February 8

Sioux Falls:

At HUB Auditorium on the Southeast Technical College campus beginning at 10 a.m.

• Saturday, February 1
• Saturday, February 8
• Saturday, February 22

Spearfish:

In the lobby area of the Spearfish CTE Center beginning at 10 a.m.

• Saturday, February 8

Sturgis:

At the Erskine Building from 9 to 11 a.m.

• Saturday, February 1
• Saturday, March 1

Vermillion:

At City Hall from 9 to 11 a.m.

• Saturday, February 15
• Saturday, March 1

Watertown:

At the Codington County Extension Complex beginning at 8 a.m.

• Saturday, February 15

Yankton:

In the City Commission Room at the CMTEA building beginning at 10 a.m.

• Saturday, February 22
• Saturday, March 15