The Argus Leader carries a story this morning about an attempt by the legislature to find additional funding for some of the struggling schools in some of the most remote and sparsely-populated areas of the High Plains of South Dakota. Excerpt:
The bill, sponsored for the second straight session by Republican Senate leader Eric Bogue of Faith, proposes to spend $2.6 million in targeted state aid for perhaps 16 schools that have low student numbers, large land areas and virtually no opportunities to consolidate with other schools.
"We're recognizing they're small, they're remote, they're sparse, and they're doing as much as they can," Bogue said.
He said his bill mirrors the final version of a much-debated but unsuccessful sparsity bill in the 2004 Legislature.
Robin Jones, a member of the Faith School Board, urged lawmakers to pass the bill. Under the current form of the measure, Faith would receive about $946,000 in state aid, about $120,000 more than the current formula would provide.
Faith has tried to manage its financial issues, Jones said. Since 2001, the district has eliminated industrial arts, family and consumer science, a certified librarian and a certified guidance counselor, she said. It has reduced its lunch program and janitorial staff, and the chief executive officer also is the high school and elementary principal, she said.
"Some of our students travel 40 to 50 miles, one way, to school," Jones said. "Many travel at least 25 miles."
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