BROOKINGS — Superintendent Summer Schultz updated the Brookings School Board on pending state legislation during the board’s Monday night meeting. She said three bills currently under consideration — HB1235, SB191 and SB216 — could each limit property tax growth, thus affecting school funding.  

“Those are the three to keep an eye on,” Schultz said. “It’s not my place to tell people how to feel about certain bills, but the part of (SB191) that makes me nervous is that property tax assessments would be based on the sale amount not the assessed amount. So if I sell you something or I sell my family member something, I can say it’s for a dollar. So the amount of property sold is what (property taxes) would be assessed on.”

She said that impacts more than just schools.

“It will hurt anyone — not just schools — that depend on property tax assessments,” Schultz said. “I’m hopeful that SB191 would maybe go away, but again it’s not my place to tell you what to think.”

She also told the board that HB1239 — which originally dealt mostly with librarians — was significantly changed in the state senate and now affects school boards.

“(HB1239) passed off of the floor with an amendment that comes back somewhat to the school board not the librarian,” Schultz said. “Again that one, I just think it’s something to pay attention to. We just need to know where that bill lands rather than have an opinion.”

The original bill repealed exemptions shielding librarians from prosecution for dissemination of harmful material to children. The senate gutted that language Monday, changing the bill to require that school and library boards allow appeals of complaints about allegedly obscene materials. The bill would also permit such board decisions to be appealed in court. The new version of HB1239 passed 32-2 in the state senate, with District 7 Sen. Tim Reed, R-Brookings voting in favor. The legislation now goes back to the state house for reconsideration.

In other matters, the board heard first reading on revisions of the district’s early graduation policy. The new policy requires — starting with the class of 2029 — 24 rather than 22 credits to graduate. Board member Wes Tschetter cautioned against making the qualifications too onerous.

“There are reasons — good reasons — for people to graduate early,” Tschetter said. “Family circumstances do change, and we need to have a relief valve for circumstances in which students have a need … (to) have a way out to graduate and move on. We do have a number of students who were held back a year and maybe are already 19 their senior year.”

Board member Deb Debates said the revised policy takes into account extenuating circumstances.

“There would be an opportunity for them to meet with (staff) and request that,” Debates said. “They would meet with the administration and the counselors, request that they graduate early and then that could be a decision that could be made.”

Second reading and potential passage of the policy change would have to come at a later meeting. 

Finally, the board also approved acquiring new laptops for the high school. Director of Business Affairs Stacey VanBeek said ordering computers early could help avoid international trade disruptions.

“There’s a lot of unknown things with tariffs and such right now, and so we’re hoping to kind of get ahead of that and not have delays in shipping,” VanBeek said. “If we order them July 1 when the fiscal year starts, we’re not going to have them at all — let alone have them ready — when the kids come.”

The district has been leasing laptops for the high school.

“The 4-year lease for our high school students is up this year, so we have gone out to bid,” VanBeek said. “The prices that we’re seeing are, I’m going to say, considerably lower than the last lease. The last lease — just for round numbers — was about a million dollars. We’re hoping that it’s going to be maybe $100,000 more or less for over 4 years.”

The board approved the laptops on a 4-0 vote, with board member Keli Books absent.

Contact Jay Roe at jroe@brookingsregister.com.