This Friday (7/12) is the early registration deadline for this year’s ASBSD-SASD Convention, which will take place Thursday-Friday, August 8-9 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

Save more than $40 by registering today at $205 and join more than 500 fellow board members and administrators at the event with two keynote speakers – Molly Hudgens and Sean Buchanan – more than 40 informative breakout sessions and several exhibitors sharing their great services. Districts registering 3 school board members receive a FREE registration for one administrator.

Click here to register for the 2024 ASBSD-SASD Convention and follow these instructions: Convention Registration Information for Individuals, to complete registration. Individuals can register only themselves while Business Managers & Superintendents can register multiple people from the district.

Convention information includes:

• Attached is a draft of the Convention schedule, which you can also find here: https://convention.asbsd.org/schedule/,
• Also attached is a PDF containing breakout session descriptions, which you can also find here: https://convention.asbsd.org/breakout-sessions/.
• Information on the keynote speakers can be found here: https://convention.asbsd.org/keynote-speakers/.
• Exhibitors and information on their services will be posted here: https://convention.asbsd.org/2731-2/.

Fees increase to $250 after next Friday, July 12 and $100 cancellation fee also applies for those cancelling on or after July 13 or not attending the Convention.

Attending Board members earn 20 ALL points for their school board and administrators earn 15 CEU’s!

A block of hotel rooms has been reserved at the:

• Sheraton (1211 N W Ave.): Click here to reserve from the block online.
• Holiday Inn & Suite Sioux Falls – Airport (2040 W Russell St.): Click here to reserve from the block online.
• Ramada Hotel (1301 W Russell Street): Call to make reservations at 605-336-1020 and use the room block name: ASBSD/SASD Joint Convention.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact ASBSD staff: https://asbsd.org/about/contact-us/.

By Jessica Filler

ASBSD Director of Policy & Legal Services

As of July 1, 2024, board member compensation that board members can receive for attending board meetings has increased from a maximum of $75 to $166. Schools must annually set their amount of board member compensation (typically at the annual reorganization meeting), which now cannot exceed $166.

The board member compensation rate is not set out specifically in state law; rather, it is tied to the per diem authorized for the members of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards, which is set by the state legislature every two years.

The SD BOE Standards per diem compensation rate can be found at this link https://bfm.sd.gov/budget/fy2025/BoardCompensationFY2025.pdf on p. 3 of 5.

ASBSD has modified its Sample Policy BHD: Board Member Compensation and Expenses in response to this change. School board members devote much time and energy to their school districts, and ASBSD is grateful that the importance of board service has been recognized by way of more than doubling the maximum board member compensation rate.

In addition, travel reimbursement rates have increased. These rates are now set in state law instead of by the State Board of Finance, including the mileage reimbursement rate and in-state lodging reimbursement rate.

The information can be found at this link https://sdsos.gov/about-the-office/board-of-finance/bof-docs/TravelReimbursementMemoFY2025.pdf. ASBSD has adjusted the language of its Sample Policy DLC: Expense Reimbursements, to reflect the change.

ASBSD sample policies can be found at: www.policy.asbsd.org.

Questions can be directed to jfiller@asbsd.org.

As we await the ruling on a lawsuit filed by South Dakota and its neighboring states against the latest Tite IX regulations, ASBSD wants to share with our members we will have a training solution for school districts if and when the new regulations are implemented.

ASBSD has entered into a strategic partnership with Institutional Compliance Solutions (ICS) to provide our members with Title IX training for administrators and staff members.

“We’re looking forward to providing our members with an affordable and reliable Title IX training option from our reputable partner, ICS,” ASBSD Director of Policy & Legal Services Jessica Filler said.

“ASBSD is closely monitoring the status of the injunction filed by the state against the latest Title IX rules and once a ruling is provided, we will update our members on the next steps required.”

The SD Council of School Attorneys also is supporting this Title IX training opportunity.

Questions about the current status of the Title IX regulations or the required training can be directed to Filler at jfiller@asbsd.org.

by Tyler Pickner

ASBSD Director of Communications

With the legislature’s passage of House Bill 1020 during this year’s session the suicide training requirement for teachers has been placed into the district’s accreditation process rather than in the teacher certification process as of July 1.

The South Dakota Department of Education recommended school leaders become familiar with the suicide awareness and prevention trainings that are approved by the Board of Education Standards as only approved trainings will be accepted.

The approved trainings are posted on the Department of Education’s here: https://doe.sd.gov/suicideprevention/.

DOE also noted if a district sponsors a training the district needs to ensure it is approved because only an approved training listed on the link above will meet the one-hour suicide awareness and prevention training requirement.

ASBSD has updated its sample policy: GCB: Qualifications of Teachers, to reflect the need for teachers to complete suicide awareness and prevention training and submit a certificate of completion to their employing school district.

Contact ASBSD staff members: https://asbsd.org/about/contact-us/ with any questions.