Positions are updated as POSITIONS ON 2017 PENDING LEGISLATION bills are able to be BY THE reviewed by the District. LEGEND SIOUX FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT Color Key Updated

Sioux Falls Legislators Positions not yet approved by District 9 – Deb Peters, Michael Clark, Wayne Steinhauer School Board District 10 – Jenna Netherton, , Passed both District 11 – , , houses District 12 – Blake Curd, , Greg Jamison District 13 – Jack Kolbeck, Sue Lucas-Peterson, G. Mark Mickelson Dead

District 14 – Deb Soholt, Tom Holmes, Key Bills District 15 – Reynold Nesiba, , Karen L. Soli

House Bill 1016 Introduced by: The Committee on Retirement Laws at the request of the South Dakota Retirement System Todd Vik 367-7909 An Act to revise the methodology for calculating the cost of living adjustment for South Dakota Retirement System benefits, to revise reporting conditions, and to provide uniform terminology. Impact: This bill is part of the Retirement System’s package of bills to tighten future benefits in an effort to ensure that the system has been fully funded. Since 2002, the Retirement System has increased contributions from members and employers by 20 percent while decreasing benefits by over 9 percent. Additionally, the System recently created a new class of members where the defined benefit portion of the system is combined with a defined contribution aspect. The changes proposed by House Bill 1016, House Bill 1017 and House Bill 1018 set up additional rules to further eliminate benefits for the defined benefit program. Position: The District takes no position on this bill.

House Bill 1017 Introduced by: The Committee on Retirement Laws at the request of the South Dakota Retirement System Todd Vik 367-7909 An Act to revise the definition of compensation for purposes of the South Dakota Retirement System, to provide a penalty for falsely reporting compensation, and to update references to the Internal Revenue Code. Impact: This bill is part of the Retirement System’s package of bills to tighten future benefits in an effort to ensure that the system has been fully funded. Since 2002, the Retirement System has increased contributions from members and employers by 20 percent while decreasing benefits by over 9 percent. Additionally, the System recently created a new class of members where the defined benefit portion of the system is combined with a defined contribution aspect. The changes proposed by House Bill 1016, House Bill 1017 and House Bill 1018 set up additional rules to further eliminate benefits for the defined benefit program. Position: The District takes no position on this bill.

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House Bill 1018 Introduced by: The Committee on Retirement Laws at the request of the South Dakota Retirement System Todd Vik 367-7909 An Act to revise the computation of final average compensation for benefits relating to the South Dakota Retirement System. Impact: This bill is part of the Retirement System’s package of bills to tighten future benefits in an effort to ensure that the system has been fully funded. Since 2002, the Retirement System has increased contributions from members and employers by 20 percent while decreasing benefits by over 9 percent. Additionally, the System recently created a new class of members where the defined benefit portion of the system is combined with a defined contribution aspect. The changes proposed by House Bill 1016, House Bill 1017 and House Bill 1018 set up additional rules to further eliminate benefits for the defined benefit program. Position: The District takes no position on this bill.

House Bill 1021 Introduced by: The Committee on Education at the request of the Department of Education Deb Muilenburg-Wilson 367-7956 An Act to revise certain provisions regarding the education provided for children in certain residential treatment centers. Impact: This bill revises the current payment process for students placed by their parent/s in a psychiatric residential treatment or intensive residential treatment facility. Instead of the District paying the formula-driven portion of the funding, tuition will be paid from the S.D. Department of Education to the school district providing an educational program at the facility. Position: The District supports this bill. This bill takes the District out of the middle of partial payment and tracking process for parent/s placed students.

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House Bill 1022 Introduced by: The Committee on Education at the request of the Department of Education Deb Muilenburg-Wilson 367-7956 An Act to revise and repeal certain provisions relating to education service agencies. Impact: This bill removes/repeals “education service agency and nonprofit education service agency” throughout multiple sections of SDCL. Position: The District takes no position on this bill. On the S.D. DOE website, under 2017 Legislature is a report titled “2016 ESA Coop Study”. A review of this document has a letter on 4-1-16 from Joint Appropriations Committee leadership directing the DOE to undertake a review of the educational cooperatives (co-ops) and educational service agencies (ESA’s) and their role in providing efficiencies and services for public school districts. On 12-2-16, Dr. Schopp responds to the two Joint Appropriations Committee leaders with a multiple page report with detailed appendices. In the report, they summarize that the ESA model has largely been abandoned following the cessation of regular funding. They report that ESA statutes are generally unnecessary to grant cooperatives the authority to contract with the state to provide educational services. The study recommended revision or elimination of the ESA Statutory Framework.

House Bill 1052 Introduced by: Representatives Haggar, DiSanto, Latterell, and Rhoden and Senators Curd, Ewing, Langer, Netherton, and Novstrup Kate Bartell Nowak 367-4670

An Act to provide certain protections for public employees who report violations of law. Impact: This bill prohibits public employers from retaliating against an employee who makes a report to an appropriate authority a violation or abuse of a law or rule. Position: The District takes no position on this bill. The Sioux Falls School District has anti-retaliation provisions throughout its policies.

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Senate Bill 7 Introduced by: Senators Cammack, Frerichs, and Tidemann and Representatives Qualm, Bartling, Duvall, and Rhoden at the request of the Agricultural Land Assessment Implementation and Oversight Advisory Task Force Todd Vik 367-7909

An Act to revise the criteria for determining if property is classified as agricultural land for property tax purposes. Impact: This bill is attempting to revise the criteria for determining if property is classified as agricultural land for property tax purposes. Position: The District takes no position on this bill.

Senate Bill 27 Introduced by: The Committee on Judiciary at the request of the Office of the Attorney General Kate Bartell Nowak 367-4670

An Act to prohibit certain direct conflicts of interest by public officials and to provide a penalty therefor. Impact: This bill prohibits certain direct conflicts of interest by public officials and provides a penalty. Public officials includes board members, officers, fiscal agents, and employees (among others). The public official may only use the powers and resources of public office to advance the public interest and not to obtain any personal benefit or pursue any private interest. Any public official who knowingly misappropriates funds in violation of the public trust that results in a direct financial benefit to the public official is guilty of theft. If an employee reports such violation, and believes there is retaliation for such report, the employee may file a grievance. Position: The District opposes this bill. School board members, school officials, officers, fiscal agents, and employees, are already subject to various conflict of interest provisions, including: SDCL CH 3-23, 6-1-1, 6-1-2, 6-1-17, 13-20-2.1, 13-7-3, and 13-7-3. In addition, the SFSD, like other public employers, has its own conflict of interest policy. These laws and internal policies sufficiently address conflicts of interest, including personal benefit and private interest.

Senate Bill 30 Introduced by: The Committee on Education at the request of the Department of Education Ann Smith 367-7816

An Act to revise certain provisions regarding high school equivalency testing. Impact: This bill updates language. The GED Test is no longer the only high school equivalency test and general education development may imply that the GED is the program that must be followed. There are currently three nationally recognized certificates: the GED Certificate from GED Testing Service, the HiSET Program from Educational Testing Service, and the Test Assessing Secondary Completion from McGraw Hill. Position: The District supports this bill.

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Senate Bill 33 Introduced by: The Committee on Appropriations at the request of the Bureau of Finance and Management Todd Vik 367-7909

An Act to revise the state aid to special education formula. Impact: This bill amends the Special Education formula to increase the per student amount by 1 percent (1.0%) and set the new Special Education qualifying and maximum levies per the Cutler/Gabriel amendment. Position: The District supports this bill.

Senate Bill 35 Introduced by: The Committee on Appropriations at the request of the Bureau of Finance and Management Todd Vik 367-7909

An Act to revise the state aid to general education formula. Impact: This bill amends the General Education formula to increase the target teach salary amount by 1 percent (1.0%) and set the new General Education maximum levies per the Cutler/Gabriel amendment. The bill also increases the overhead factor by 0.08 percent (0.08%) in the first year of the five-year phase-in to equalize other revenue. Position: The District supports this bill.

Senate Bill 55 Introduced by: Senators Monroe, Ewing, Jensen (Phil), Nelson, Stalzer, and Wiik and Representatives Campbell, Frye-Mueller, Goodwin, Heinemann, and Howard Ann Smith 367-7816

An Act to protect the teaching of certain scientific information. Impact: This bill appears to allow teachers to teach multiple perspectives on scientific topics that have become controversial, e.g. climate change, human evolution, etc. Position: The District opposes this bill. The Sioux Falls School District policy already supports teachers addressing controversial topics in an objective atmosphere.

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