This Speakout was submitted by Teresa Binkley, a member of the Brookings School Board.

Recently the Brookings School Board approved a resolution in opposition to the proposed school voucher program. Although I am on the school board, I am writing this Speakout as an individual who has a background in education and a passion for our public schools.

In the governor’s address, and now in legislative bills, there are proposals to use your tax dollars to fund private and home-school education. Whether they call them Educational Savings Accounts, Educational Empowerment Accounts, or any other name, when tax dollars are used to support private or home-school education, they are voucher programs.

Supporters of voucher programs claim they have a right to school choice. I am not against school choice and agree that parents should be able to choose the best environment for their child’s learning style or their family’s beliefs. If parents feel that a free public education is not their choice, they have the right to home school or utilize a private school, but that choice should not be funded by tax dollars.

The cost for a state voucher program in South Dakota is not financially sustainable. The governor proposed setting aside $4 million for an Educational Savings Account that would offer $3000 per student for private or home school education. The $4 million amount would cover 1,333 students. But according to the Department of Education 2024 South Dakota enrollment report, South Dakota has 15,185 students in K-12 private schools plus 11,489 students being home schooled. At $3,000 per student, the amount needed to support all private and home-schooled students in South Dakota would be over $80 million. Make no mistake, it is the intention of voucher supporters to fund all private and home school students in the future.

It would be wise to learn from other states that have enacted voucher programs. Arizona passed a universal voucher program in 2022. Any parent in the state can get a tax-payer funded voucher to spend on private or homeschooling. Supporters of the voucher program campaigned on the issue that parents should have school choice and that vouchers may even save the state money.

In the last year, the price of the voucher program in Arizona went from an estimate of just under $65 million to approximately $323 million and $429 million is estimated for next year. The Arizona state budget is now in crisis and many programs are being cut in order to fund the voucher program.

Our public schools are currently underfunded and our average teacher salary still ranks at 47th out of 50 states. We do not have the capacity in our state to fund private and home schooling in addition to public schools. I encourage you get informed on the detrimental effects of voucher programs and the crisis they pose for our state budget and our public schools.

Please urge your legislators to oppose any type of school voucher program in South Dakota.