Sioux Falls, SD (KELO-AM) Sioux Falls Schools Superintendent Dr. Brian Maher is one of the biggest supporters of the Governor's proposal to raise the sales tax by a half penny to fund teacher pay raises.
Dr. Maher says there's probably more momentum now on raising teacher pay than in recent memory and he's hearing that from people "who can really have an impact." But he is only cautiously optimistic. He's been hearing a "mixed bag" of opinions from the state lawmakers he's talked to, but at least some of them believe there's a chance to get the tax hike approved.
Dr. Maher was interviewed Monday on KELO Radio's It's Your Business with Bill Zortman.
Maher has only been on the job for seven months at the helm of South Dakota's largest school district, but he's already making his presence felt, including as a member of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Education. The Task Force reccomended hiking teacher pay to make South Dakota competitive with surrounding states.
Since his State of the Union Address to the 2016 State Legislature, Governor Daugaard has been traveling around the state, pushing the teacher pay plan. He was in Brookings Monday.