Elk Point-Jefferson ahead of new SD teacher salary law

ELK POINT, S.D. (KCAU) — Last Wednesday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed a bill into law that sets teachers’ salary at a minimum of $45,000. However, one South Dakota school district is already above that.

“Our governor and our legislative process have been trying to to put school funding on the forefront of some of the latest legislative issues,” Elk Point-Jefferson superintendent Philip Schonebaum said. “And through studies, they want to ensure that schools are funding teacher pay.”

At Elk Point-Jefferson School District, last year’s base pay was more than was $46,000. While they’re currently above the minimum salary requirement, next year they might not be.

“If you fall below that salary, you end up going to what’s called an accountability board, where you get a reduction in state aid,” Schonebaum said. “So what Elk Point-Jefferson’s really going to have to worry about, and everywhere in the state, is making sure that we maintain funding to our base salary every year. Regardless if we’re ahead of it, we don’t want to get into a position where we’re behind the minimum salary.”

However, maintaining base salary yearly is only one of many problems schools will face.

“We’re going to have to decide what extra supports we can maintain while this raises,” Schonebaum said. “I think we’ve seen that in other districts of, while we can’t have three sections, or we can’t have multiple sections of every classroom, or we have some extra behavior supports. Maybe those don’t exist as this keeps on going.”

Despite the negatives of the new law, Elk Point-Jefferson School District said this law being passed is well needed.

“The stress that comes in with wearing 30 hats a day,” Schonebaum said, “and trying to maintain continuing education, and making sure your license stays up, on top of having a hundred different unique needs in the classroom, and having to basically have a prescription for everyone of those needs and make everyone grow, is a tall task.”

The law goes into effect for the 2024-2025 school year.

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