The Senate Education Committee is sending a bill creating an early learning advisory council to the 41st day. South Dakota is one of seven states without state funded preschools.
The twelve members of the council outlined in Senate Bill 132 include governor-appointed representatives from multiple government agencies--including the departments of education, health, social services, and the legislature. Other members include Head Start providers, parents, and the business community.
Senator Billy Sutton sponsors the bill. He says the need for early education is greater in South Dakota because both parents work outside the home in 76% of families in the state. He says creating an advisory council is the first step in pursuing the economic and societal benefits of early childhood education.
Kathy Cruse is Executive Director of the South Dakota Head Start Association and supports the bill. She says a lack of early education opportunities sustains the state’s low workforce. She gives an example of a phone call she received from a pastor in Elkton.
“He said they have manufacturing jobs available, but no daycare, no preschool, no childcare in their city. So they have people who are going to leave their jobs so that they can have high quality child care. That’s a problem as far as I can see, and I think it’s a deterrent to people moving into our state to gain employment,” says Cruse.
The bill is also supported by various early education providers and the South Dakota School Administrators Association, who say statewide data could help both families and educators. Family Heritage Alliance Action opposes the bill in part because the council does not include a representative for registered family home daycares.
Secretary of Education Don Kirkegaard says the department is neutral to the bill, but is planning to conduct a needs assessment of Head Start later this year. He also says the state-wide data could be collected without the formation of a council.
Senator Phil Jensen moves to defer the bill to the 41st day due in part to the number of government representatives on the council.
“I see this as an expansion of government, and as someone once said, ‘The closest thing to eternal life on earth is a government program,'" says Senator Jensen.
The motion passes with a 4-2 vote. The senate concurrent resolution to acknowledge a need for early education in the state is also tabled.