ROUNDS RE-INTRODUCES BILL TO ELIMINATE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, re-introduced his bill Wednesday to eliminate the federal Department of Education and move “all critical federal programs” to other departments.

Rounds introduced similar legislation in November, during the prior session of Congress.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March directing U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle her department and “return education authority to the states.” The move followed a 50% reduction in department staff.

Ultimately, only Congress — which established the 46-year-old department — has the authority to eliminate it.

Rounds sent a press release saying his legislation would not cut any education funding. He said some funds would flow to states as block grants while other programs would be funded through other federal agencies. He said eliminating the department’s “bureaucracy” would save the federal government approximately $2.2 billion annually.

“We all know that teachers, parents, local school boards and state Departments of Education know what’s best for their students, not bureaucrats in Washington,” Rounds said in the release.

Additionally, under Rounds’ legislation:

Schools would no longer be required to administer standardized assessments or track performance for identifying struggling schools, which Rounds said would allow “for more flexibility in assessment and school improvement strategies.”

Schools would no longer have to “comply with complex Title I funding regulations” (Title I funding supports schools with high numbers of low-income students), or “maintenance of effort standards or provide equitable services for private school students,” according to Rounds, who said that would “simplify financial management.”

“Schools would have more autonomy to set teacher certification standards and professional development plans, reducing federal oversight and allowing for tailored approaches to educator qualifications,” Rounds said.

Earlier this year, when Trump moved to dismantle the federal department, some public education advocates in South Dakota reacted negatively.

“If you close down the Department of Education without a plan for ensuring that programs like Title I and special education services continue, then what happens to the students who depend on them?” said Sandra Waltman, director of public affairs for the South Dakota Education Association.

Where Education Department programs would go

Sen. Mike Rounds’ legislation would move Education Department programs to the following federal agencies.

Department of Interior

Indian Education Formula Grants and National Activities

Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program

Special Programs for Indian Children

Department of the Treasury

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program

Federal Family Education Loan Program

Federal Perkins Loan Program

Federal Pell Grant Program

Health Education Assistance Loan Program

Education Sciences Reform Act

Education Technical Assistance Act

National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act

Department of Health and Human Services

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Education of the Blind

Helen Keller Center for Deaf/Blind Youth and Adults

Special Education Grants

Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act

Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Department of Labor

All Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education programs

Randolph Sheppard Vending Facility Program

Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants

American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program

Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act

Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

Education of the Deaf Act

Randolph-Sheppard Act

Helen Keller National Center Act

Department of Defense

Impact Aid Programs

Department of Justice

Civil Rights Enforcement

Department of State

Fulbright-Hays Program

 

STATE CANCELS TEACHER TRAININGS FOR NEW SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS DUE TO FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS

PIERRE, S.D. (Makenzie Huber / SD Searchlight) – South Dakota officials said history road trips and summits would help educators prepare to teach an extensive and controversial overhaul of state social studies standards.

But months before the new standards will be implemented in schools, the events are canceled due to federal funding cuts. Other summer programs for students and educators are suspended, including career exploration camps for middle schoolers that were expected to serve 600 students.

State Education Department officials did not say whether the suspended programs will be reinstated at a later date. Department spokeswoman Nancy Van Der Weide said the department will work to balance fiscal responsibility with “our equally important priority of providing South Dakota’s K-12 students with the best educational opportunities available.”

States and school districts can resubmit requests for the federal funding, which was provided as pandemic relief and then extended by the Biden administration. But the projects will be more strictly reevaluated by the Trump administration based on how they address the effects of COVID-19 on students, according to the federal Department of Education. The state has not told South Dakota Searchlight if the department plans to reapply.

East Dakota Educational Cooperative contracted with the state to organize the Civics and History Summit and History Road Trip. The state used federal funds to pay for the events each of the past two years, but the federal Department of Education canceled $2.8 million in funding to pay for this year’s events.

Sisseton School District Superintendent Tammy Meyer said students and teachers in her district have participated in the programs in the past.

“I’ve seen the excitement of staff to attend the summit and road trips to bring back those experiences and to teach their students what they’ve learned. I’ve seen the impact of these career summer camps on students,” Meyer said. “It’s unfortunate the staff and students who anticipated attending those may not have those opportunities this summer.”

Feds cut funding because extensions were ‘not justified’

As of April 7, Trump administration funding cuts affecting South Dakota’s state government totaled nearly $10 million. More than half of those cuts — over $5 million — have impacted the state Department of Education.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon notified state education departments in a March 28 letter that COVID-19 federal relief funds would expire that day, instead of in March 2026. The change impacts the final payouts of the American Rescue Plan Act’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund.

Congress approved $189.5 billion in ESSER funding during the pandemic to help schools recover from pandemic setbacks and expenses.

South Dakota was awarded $593.4 million, according to the federal pandemic oversight website. The funds were intended for the state department and individual school districts. The awards’ obligation deadline was set for the end of September 2024, but some entities, including the state department, requested extensions to spend remaining funds. Extensions were granted by the Biden administration, until they were recently revoked by the Trump administration.

McMahon said in the letter that an extension to spend remaining funds “was not justified.”

“Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion,” McMahon wrote.

Schools could spend the funds on programs and improvements to address student needs, including summer classes, extended programs, educational software, mental health services, indoor air quality improvements and building renovations. All projects were subject to approval by the state Education Department.

Three South Dakota school districts were impacted by the loss of extended funds. Sisseton lost $448,071, Iroquois lost $69,662, and Armour lost $9,061, according to the Bureau of Finance and Management.

Sisseton was awarded a total of $11.7 million in ESSER funds over its three phases, using the money to renovate its high school building and classrooms, replace its roof, and purchase school buses and student laptops, among other programs and improvements, Meyer said. Some of its lost funding was due to unused funds, but about $319,000 was renovation spending that had yet to be reimbursed.

Meyer said she’s working with the state department to resubmit its extension request. Otherwise, the $319,000 will have to come out of the district’s own budget, which might cause a postponement other projects.

“It’s late in the budget year,” Meyer said, “so a lot of our projects have already been assigned and established for this budget.”

Beyond the history summit and road trip, another $2.37 million in extended funding would have supported middle school career summer camps, mentoring academies for teachers and a state website listing open teaching positions in the state. The Associated School Boards of South Dakota also hosts a website for educator openings.

According to the South Dakota Board of Regents, the Dakota Dreams summer career exploration camps served 1,800 middle school students between 2023 and 2024. Another 600 students were expected to attend camps this summer in nursing, health sciences, education, law enforcement, cyber operations, computer science, engineering and more.

The state’s teacher apprenticeship pathway, which allows paraprofessionals to earn a teaching degree for a reduced rate while working full time, lost $58,178 in federal funding. The state Jobs for America’s Graduates program, which helps struggling middle and high school students complete their education, lost $88,414. The state Department of Education hasn’t responded to questions about the fate of the two programs.

Social studies standards implications

The South Dakota Board of Education Standards approved social studies standards changes in 2023 after almost two years of controversy over their age appropriateness, feasibility and the scope of Native American history included.

Shortly after, then-Gov. Kristi Noem and South Dakota Department of Education Secretary Joe Graves said students “will be taught the best social studies education in the country” and be equipped “with the solid grounding in history and civics they need to exercise their role as citizens.”

“The department stands ready to support that implementation with professional development and standards-aligned resources,” Graves said at the time.

Rob Monson, executive director of School Administrators of South Dakota, said educators “were counting” on the professional development opportunities this summer.

“A lot of districts were looking forward to having conversations at the history summit and road trip locations to get clarity on the new standards,” Monson said. “It’s unfortunate for those who would attend and those who would benefit.”

The civics and history event cancellations won’t affect the social studies standards implementation this fall, Van Der Weide said.

“We’ve successfully hosted these programs within the past two years and continue to offer implementation support for our educators,” she said, adding that the department provides standards-aligned books and resources along with a weekly social studies curriculum to South Dakota classrooms.

Dismantled federal Education Department won’t negatively impact SD, secretary says

The funding cuts compound existing worries public school advocates have surrounding the uncertainty of education funding. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March directing McMahon to dismantle her department and “return education authority to the states.” The move followed a 50% reduction in department staff.

In an interview with South Dakota Searchlight, Graves said he doesn’t see the move to dismantle the federal Department of Education “negatively impacting South Dakota.”

“I think some people have had some real concerns about what’s going on at the federal level,” Graves said. “The truth is, I don’t see it having much of an impact or causing that much change for us other than returning decision-making to the state level where constitutionally,  pragmatically and ideally it would remain.”

 

SOUTH DAKOTA’S GOVERNOR LARRY RHODEN POPULAR, IOWA’S GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS NOT; REGIONAL GOVERNORS RATE WELL

SOUTH DAKOTA (Todd Epp / Northern Plains News) – South Dakota’s new governor, Larry Rhoden, a Republican, has emerged as one of the region’s most popular state executives, according to recent polling data showing varying levels of support for governors across the Northern Plains.

Rhoden, who took office in January after former Governor Kristi Noem resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, holds a +34 percent net approval rating. This rating places him among the most popular governors nationwide, according to Morning Consult’s latest quarterly tracking poll released this week.

Regional Ratings

The data shows stark contrasts in how residents view their state leaders across the Northern Plains region. Neighboring states report significantly different levels of support for their governors.

North Dakota’s Governor, Kelly Armstrong, a Republican, posted a +49 percent approval rating, according to the data from Morning Consult. Wyoming’s Mark Gordon, a Republican, registered +34 percent, while Georgia’s Brian Kemp also tied at +34 percent, and Montana’s Greg Gianforte, a Republican, showed a +22 percent rating.

Iowa’s Republican governor, Kim Reynolds, continues to struggle with voter satisfaction. With a -5 percent net approval rating, Reynolds is the nation’s most unpopular governor—the only governor nationwide with more disapprovals than approvals, according to the Morning Consult poll.

According to Morning Consult’s data, Minnesota’s Tim Walz, a Democrat, has solid support with a +17 percent approval rating, relatively unchanged from before his vice presidential campaign last year.

Republican Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen’s ratings showed a +15 percent net approval, according to the same poll.

Rhoden’s Transition Brings Stability

Rhoden’s strong numbers come less than three months after his January swearing-in ceremony. Colleagues described the West River rancher and longtime legislator as a “rock steady hand” navigating the leadership transition after Noem’s departure, according to reporting by the South Dakota Searchlight.

Dan Ahlers, executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, who previously served with Rhoden in the legislature, told the Searchlight that the new governor would likely be more “attentive” to the state than his predecessor.

Rhoden has prioritized addressing the state’s prison infrastructure needs and pursuing property tax relief. He has maintained most of Noem’s policy positions while adopting a less confrontational governing approach.

Regional Disparities Evident

While Rhoden enjoys strong support, the region’s governors face varying levels of approval, reflecting diverse political landscapes. The wide variance in approval ratings across the Plains states reflects different governance styles and policy priorities.

Reynolds, who has been Iowa’s governor since 2017, has seen her support steadily decline over the past year. According to Morning Consult analysis from January, her numbers dropped significantly after she opposed former President Donald Trump’s candidacy and endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential primary, which may have contributed to her declining approval ratings.

In contrast, Walz has maintained relatively stable support in Minnesota, even after his bid as Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election.

For new governors like Armstrong in North Dakota and Rhoden in South Dakota, early approval ratings serve as an important benchmark; they help establish their administrations and shape their political futures.

What It Means for Residents

Varying approval ratings influence how effectively governors implement policies affecting everyday life in their states.

In South Dakota, Rhoden’s strong support may help advance his legislative priorities. The governor recently announced plans to slow property tax increases over a five-year period and has committed to building a new men’s prison to replace the aging facility in Sioux Falls.

Meanwhile, Reynolds still has problems in Iowa despite Republican control of the statehouse. Her low approval could potentially limit her ability to implement conservative policies effectively.

For residents across the region, these approval ratings reflect political preferences and genuine concerns about economic conditions, tax policies, and social issues.

The Morning Consult tracking poll is based on surveys conducted from January through March 2025 among registered voters in each state. Margins of error vary by state.

The Republican political blog, the Dakota War College, first reported Rhoden’s numbers in the poll.