Our schools have consistently given up huge spending increases in the good times so our children’s education wouldn’t be shortchanged in the bad times. As times have gotten rough, however, our governor has again shortchanged our children’s future. Denying our children the resources the need to ensure good paying jobs and fulfilling lives is penny-wise and pound foolish.
Our children deserve a fully-funded K-12 education, well-qualified teachers who are paid correspondingly, and informed parents who participate in and encourage their child’s education. South Dakota’s public and private universities must double their efforts to develop students capable of discovering life-saving cures to disease and drought, creating businesses that provide jobs in South Dakota, and producing the next great piece of literature or theater. And that education must extend to learners of all ages through Community Colleges and Technical Education Centers that are affordable and accessible to all of us. Education is our state’s soundest investment. Let’s prove it to our kids in elementary school, our sisters in college, and our parents returning to school to develop new skills.