Educators gear up for fight as lawmakers, DOE unveil $4M 'school choice' package

Proposal doesn't necessarily limit education savings accounts to low-income students

South Dakota’s leading education groups are uniting ahead of the 100th Legislative Session, which they say will bring an unprecedented assault on public education.

That’s the message the education lobby is delivering against plans by Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration to help fund homeschools and private education using public money.

“We’re going to see an attack this year, we believe, on the public school institution bigger than we’ve ever seen,” School Administrators Executive Director Rob Monson told reporters Wednesday morning during a press event to announce the formation of the South Dakota Public Schools Coalition. The coalition, formed the same day details of Noem’s proposal became public for the first time, includes not only the school superintendents but also the South Dakota Education Association, the Associated School Boards of South Dakota, and the Large School Group.

Noem to climb Capitol Hill for confirmation hearing day after State of the State