Many of you have been asking about sales tax as another option to fund our schools. After much research we found that a sales tax has to come from a legislative rule change in the statute. If we ever do get more than the 3% maximum offered by the state, it is a one-time occurrence. It is not money that can be counted on year after year. This means we have no other source of funding to access to fix the budget crisis. Changing the statutes is a lengthy process. In the past, when it was tried, it was voted down.
In 2012, voters rejected the governor’s education reform plan. It was initiated measure 15 and would have raised South Dakota’s sales tax by one cent. This money was earmarked for education and Medicaid. It would have given schools approximately $725 more per student annually. Since it did not pass, we did not gain that funding.
In 2012, voters rejected the governor’s education reform plan. It was initiated measure 15 and would have raised South Dakota’s sales tax by one cent. This money was earmarked for education and Medicaid. It would have given schools approximately $725 more per student annually. Since it did not pass, we did not gain that funding.