School Budget "Cut" (wink, wink)
Sioux Falls school district's budget is growing...and growing...and growing. Despite that, the board has proposed a budget oddly referred to as a "cut."
A recent article says the Sioux Falls school district is proposing a budget of $356 million for fiscal year 2026. The school board says it cut $3 million from the budget due to the anticipated loss of pandemic relief funds. The district will seek to increase property taxes by 4% to offset what they say will be a shortfall.
April Fools Day
According to an article published a year ago — April 1 — on the South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) website, the Sioux Falls school district’s budget was $350 million for fiscal year 2025 — $6 million LESS than what is being proposed for 2026.
Flipping that around, it’s $6 million MORE for fy 2026 than for fy 2025. That’s after saying there’s $3 million cut from the proposed 2026 budget.
It’s Complicated
Indeed it is. Here is a link to the Sioux Falls School District budget books. That’s a lot of pages and words to not tell us in straightforward language the information that would help voters decide if they want to pay a 4% property tax increase to cover the “shortfall.” Perhaps the taxpayers would prefer to dispense with some shiny objects instead.
Top line information that would be great for voters to have on a single cover page, with links to the details for those who want to dig in the weeds:
Total amount for all NEW programs and enhancements or upgrades to existing programs
Total amount in salaries and benefits for administrators and administrative support staff, with positions ADDED broken out
Total amount in salaries and benefits for full time classroom teachers, with positions ADDED broken out
Total amount for all NEW building, grounds, and ancillary facility projects, including upgrades beyond normal maintenance
Total amount to maintain existing physical school facilities, including all maintenance staff and benefits under this rubric
Total amount for technology purchases and staff to maintain them, and an explanation of how this technology relates to student achievement
Total amount for teaching staff and curricula devoted to non-English-speaking students, with positions ADDED broken out
Total amount for special education teaching staff, with positions ADDED broken out
A pretty good, verifiable, story to explain all expense that falls outside of these categories
Shiny Objects Wish List
Maybe the Sioux Falls School Board members made as tight a budget as they know how to do. But they didn’t cut the budget — they raised it. Property owners from the city — who would be socked with that 4% property tax hike — should be invited to help the board whittle the budget down to paid-for-with-current-funding-less-pandemic-funds size. DOGE the school system.
These "educators" should not be teaching math to kids.
There's no one on Social Security or the vast majority of hardworking people in South Dakota getting a 4% wage, income increase! NO to property tax increases!!! Cut all the DEI and all the "woke" garbage from school budgets! Make real cuts, not fake phoney baloney "cuts"!