EDUCATION QUALITY

• South Dakotans believe K-12 public school districts are doing a good job. An overwhelming majority of those polled are confident that students are receiving a quality education.
• Teacher quality ranks high atop the list of factors that voters weigh when determining whether children are receiving a quality education - much higher than other measurements of school success, including testing results and graduation rates.
• When asked to grade schools based on the quality of education students receive, most give schools in their community an A or B.
• Voters polled say a lack of funding and difficulty hiring teachers are the biggest challenges their local school district faces.

DECISION MAKING

• Those polled trust local school boards to make decisions that impact public schools, including the decision to consolidate with another district.
• Voters overwhelmingly believe local school boards - not the state legislative or executive branches - best reflect their community's educational beliefs and priorities.
• South Dakota voters believe the primary function of school boards is to ensure a school district provides a quality education.
• Most South Dakotans agree that school districts should invest in training to help make school board members more effective in their positions.

EDUCATION FUNDING

• South Dakota voters believe K-12 education funding should be increased and that it is important for school districts to have the resources needed to provide an adequate education.
• South Dakota voters overwhelming chose K-12 education when asked to identify what they believe should be the top priority in the state budget.
• Those polled are concerned that K-12 education spending, as a percent of the state budget, has decreased in the past decade.
• A great majority of South Dakotans agree that additional funding will result in a better education for students.

EDUCATION POLICY

• A strong majority of voters polled say they would oppose a state policy that reimburses parents for private school tuition costs - and more than half of those polled said they would strongly oppose the policy.
• A majority of South Dakotans favor a change in state policy that would provide schools with a minimum 4 percent annual per-student funding increase.
• Despite having a generally unfavorable view of the No Child Left Behind Act, South Dakota voters believe it is likely that South Dakota school districts can meet the 100 percent student proficiency goals that are central to the law.
• Voters overwhelmingly believe state lawmakers have enacted enough regulation to ensure South Dakota's students are being taught by highly qualified teachers.