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heard many of the numbers before.  We are dead last in average teacher salary. Perhaps even worse news is that the gap behind SD and # 49 (North Dakota) continues to widen.  ND's average teacher now makes close to $7,000 more than the average SD teacher.  Even the statistics gathered which adjust for cost of living differences still put SD at the very bottom.
• Any piece of legislation which requires an appropriation of funds must go through the Appropriations Committee.  An issue may first be heard for testimony and policy considerations in another committee, but eventually it makes a trip to the Appropriations Committee when any tax dollars are attached. In the case of school funding, often these bills go to the House or Senate Education Committees and then are referred to Appropriations.  On Feb. 13^th, the Senate Appropriations Committee listened to 6 different school funding bills. All bills are being deferred to a later date as appropriators await the revenue estimates which are scheduled to be presented by the SD Department of Revenue during the last week of February. Day after day, the Appropriators hear requests for money from the General Fund and must eventually make recommendations to the House and Senate as to where we place our priorities.
• Special Education and the Extraordinary Cost Fund
• A component of school funding which was recently brought to the Legislature's attention is the depletion of the Extraordinary Cost Fund used for students with special needs. This is a fund which local school Districts can apply to when they have costs which exceed the school's special education levy. In SD, there are 18,026 children who qualify to receive special education services. This represents 14.3% of all of our students and is an increase of 7.1% over a ten year period.  These statistics were taken from the National Center for Education Statistics. The proposal from the SD Department of Education would shift even more of the funding formula for special needs towards the local taxpayer and away from the state government's responsibility.  We have concerns as to how schools will absorb these costs when the funding formula doesn't keep pace with increasing costs.
• HB1228 (Anderson Seed issue)
• House Bill 1228 has recently passed the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and will now go to the floor.  It has been nicknamed the "Producer First" bill because it would put producers first in line to receive payments from a grain warehouse or grain buyer bonds if the business fails.
• Since February of 2011 when Minnesota-based Anderson Seed Company went under, 29 claimants have sought $2 million in claims on the $100,000 bond the company was required to have. Of the claimants, 22 were producers, one was a colony,

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