Study reports SD school funding cuts deepest among neighboring states
Since the start of the recession, South Dakota has made the deepest cuts1 to K-12 school funding among neighboring states.
State fiscal year 2013 investment in K-12 schools is 13.6 percent below 2008 inflation adjusted levels. That means South Dakota has made deeper state funding cuts than 32 other states, according to a report released September 2012 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan policy research organization, based in Washington, D.C.
At the beginning of the recession (FY08) South Dakota had the lowest per student K-12 education funding among neighboring states. How much lower was South Dakota K-12 education funding in FY2008? Looking at all revenue sources, here’s how South Dakota stacked up compared to the six-neighboring-state per student funding average:
• All sources combined (local state and federal)― South Dakota lagged by 24% ($3,081 per student)
• State and local funding sources combined2 ―South Dakota lagged by 30% ($3,518 per student)
• State funding ―South Dakota lagged six-neighboring-state average by 49% ($3,083 per student)
k-12 education regional funding chart FY08
1. Inflation-adjustment based on Urban CPI; the center’s full report can be found at http://www.cbpp.org/files/9-4-12sfp.pdf
2. Includes video lottery and property tax revenues
