In his State of the State address, Gov. Daugaard proposed a half cent increase in the state sales tax to raise teacher pay. The proposal is based on the Blue Ribbon Task Force report, the centerpiece of which is a revised school funding formula. Read more about these proposals in the Governor's Weekly Column. The column is also available in audio format.

In addition to the sales tax increase and revised funding formula, the Governor proposed a number of other items based on the task force’s recommendations, including the following:

• An e-learning proposal would expand the capacity of the Northern State University e-learning center and create a "classroom innovation grant fund" to incentivize teacher training and classroom access to virtual education and customized learning tools.
• A mentoring program would be created for first and second-year teachers.
• The bonus for achieving National Board Certification (and payment to those teachers who achieved this in the five years since it was suspended) would be reinstated.
• Expansion of voluntary shared services, to include areas such as purchasing, payroll and software licensing.