When Is a 2 Percent Increase in K-12 Funding Not Really 2 Percent? In Pierre

During the last regular week of the legislative session in Pierre, everything is in play. Democratic state senator Bernie Hunhoff from Yankton says even the so-called 2 percent increase in K-12 education funding isn’t really so.

“No, and first of all, it’s not a true 2 percent," Hunhoff said. "Part of it is a shift. They want to roll technology costs, sparsity, some of the items for education that have not been in the general formula, the school aid formula, they want to roll them into the formula.”

Hunhoffsays what the legislature ultimately does to school districts capital outlay authority may also impact what public education receives for fiscal year 2016.

“Those look like they’re all dead, any effort to change the way we do capital outlays. And that’s got some people concerned, so that there’s a chance since those bills died, that could affect the formula. So no, I think we may have a hard time holding on to 2 percent, I hope I’m wrong, but that’s what you’re hearing in the hallways."