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prolong requirements for increasing teacher compensation.

HB 1080 extends the deadline for school districts to meet teacher compensation requirements, pushing the compliance period from ending in 2021 to continuing through 2024. Currently, school districts must use at least 85% of new state education funding to increase teacher salaries and benefits; this bill prolonged that mandate for several additional years rather than letting it expire. Districts that fail to meet these requirements face penalties to their state education funding.

remove collective bargaining for school district employees.

This bill removes school district employees from South Dakota's public employee collective bargaining law, meaning teachers and other school workers would no longer have the right to negotiate contracts as a group. Currently, school district employees are included in the definition of "public employees" who can collectively bargain, but this change would exclude them from that protection.

revise provisions regarding the Teacher Compensation Review Board.

This bill changes how often the Teacher Compensation Review Board reviews teacher pay in South Dakota, shifting from every two school years to every three school years, and updates their reporting schedule from annually to every third year. The bill also reduces board members' term lengths from three years to two years. These changes slow down how frequently the state examines and reports on teacher compensation compared to other states.

establish the paraprofessional tuition assistance program, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency.

South Dakota creates a new paraprofessional tuition assistance program to help school paraprofessionals earn full teacher certification by covering their college costs at accredited in-state universities. Eligible paraprofessionals must be employed at participating public schools and receive a principal's recommendation, and they must enroll in an elementary or secondary education degree program. The Department of Tribal Relations will administer the program and select participants.

provide for the payment of signing bonuses to school district staff members.

This bill expands South Dakota's signing bonus law to cover all school district staff members, not just teachers. School districts can now offer signing bonuses, moving expenses, or tuition reimbursement to any employee they hire, with payments made either as a lump sum after the first year or spread over up to three years.

make an appropriation to the Department of Education for the Teach for America grant program.

The state will provide $500,000 to the Department of Education to fund the Teach for America grant program, which recruits and places teachers in schools serving low-income students, particularly on Native American reservations. The bill updates the existing program language to reflect that the state will work with private contributors to expand the program. Any money not spent by June 30, 2027 will be returned to the general fund.