06-02-2025
Bill tying SD school administrator salaries to teacher pay passes committee
Rep. Sue Peterson, R-Sioux Falls, on the House floor during the 2024 legislative session. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
South Dakota public school administrative salaries could soon be capped based on teacher pay.
Sioux Falls Republican Sen. Sue Peterson told the state Senate Education Committee she introduced Senate Bill 161 to close the gap between the average salaries of teachers and administrators in South Dakota.
The state's average teacher salary ranks 49th in the nation, according to the National Education Association, despite a half-percent state sales tax increase in 2016. That infusion raised average teacher pay by about 12% in its first year and bumped South Dakota from last to 47th before the state fell back down in the rankings.
South Dakota's average administrator salary ranks 16th in the nation, based on a ZipRecruiter ranking Peterson shared. Administrators, by state law, include superintendents, principals and business managers.
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'That's wrong. This disparity is unacceptable,' Peterson said. 'It's time to prioritize those who are on the front lines of education: our teachers.'
The legislation would cap administrative salaries at three times a district's average teacher salary.
South Dakota's average teacher salary is $53,153, according to the National Education Association. Under the proposal, a district with that exact rate for average teacher salary wouldn't be able to pay any of its administrators more than about $160,000 a year, Peterson said. The state's average school administrator salary sits at $106,959 a year, based on ZipRecruiter data Peterson shared.
The Sioux Falls School District is the largest in the state, serving nearly 24,000 students. Its average teacher salary is $60,138, according to a records request sent to the district. The average administrator salary in the district is $146,828, according to the district. Outgoing Superintendent Jane Stavem, however, was paid a $270,413.11 salary for this school year.
There is no nationwide ranking for average administrator pay by state through a professional organization like the National Education Association teacher salary listing, according to Rob Monson, executive director for School Administrators of South Dakota.
Monson, who spoke with South Dakota Searchlight after the committee hearing, also said he does not have complete data to compare the state's administrative and teacher salaries.
Lawmakers and those testifying in committee did not discuss the accuracy of Peterson's ZipRecruiter information, but its figures for average teacher salary do not square with the National Education Association data. According to ZipRecruiter, which claims to list average salary for jobs based on listings on its site, South Dakota's average teacher salary also ranks 16th in the nation, at $46,590 a year.
Monson and other representatives of public school administrators, school boards and teachers oppose the bill, saying it would infringe on school board authority and limit schools' ability to recruit and compete for candidates. The bill would push 'the best' candidates into the private sector or out of state, Monson said.
The bill doesn't consider administrators, who also serve as principal, special education director, curriculum director, bus driver and more for rural school districts, Monson said. Nor does it consider salary needs based on school district size, Monson said.
Peterson said school boards could separate pay for administrators based on additional roles, meaning they could be paid more than the cap set in the bill if they took on more responsibilities and titles.
Sen. Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls, said lawmakers and school boards should focus on raising teacher salaries, not pushing administrative salaries down.
'I think we do pay our administrators in our state a fair wage,' Smith said. 'I think our teacher salaries are getting better, but we're not there yet. But I don't think this exactly solves it.'
Sen Curt Voight, R-Rapid City, said there needs to be more accountability for leaders in schools.
The Legislature passed a bill last year requiring school districts to raise average teacher compensation — salaries and benefits — each year by a rate nearly equal to the increase in state education funding. The aim was to improve accountability and teacher salaries over time.
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