Working to stem the loss of teachers in some specialty teaching positions, Sioux City School District officials have proposed a plan to pay up to a $15,000 retention bonus for certain positions.
The Sioux City School Board members on Monday passed a first reading of that proposal on a 5-2 vote, and will potentially decide the matter at the January 27 meeting.
In addition to $15,000 for teachers, the measure would also give a $12,000 retention bonus to support staff positions that are also hard to fill. The eligibility would be for long-tenured employees who have been with the district for 25 or more years.
Combined, there are more than 70 hard-to-fill teaching posts and support staff positions. The positions are in such subject areas as science, English, math and music.
In related news, the Nebraska State Education Association, which is the teacher’s union, wants state lawmakers to make “major movements” this legislative session to tackle the teacher shortage, including creating paid family medical leave and a yearly retention grant for all teachers.
A Nebraska Department of Education report last month showed that Nebraska schools reported nearly 670 unfilled teaching positions at the start of the 2024-25 school year. Schools either filled the open roles with someone who wasn’t fully qualified or left the position vacant.
Over 900 positions went unfilled in the previous school year. A decade ago in the 2014-15 school year, 166 positions were left unfilled.
NSEA president Tim Royers said areas like special education and career and technical education have seen shortages for years, but other areas like elementary education have seen challenges more recently.
*Additionally, South Dakota lawmakers gaveled in for the session on Tuesday.
They heard from Governor Kristi Noem in what was likely her last address to the Legislature. Noem is President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and her first confirmation hearing is Wednesday morning.
Lively debate is expected on Noem's push for “education savings accounts” that would provide state money to help students enroll in private schools or help parents pay for homeschooling outside the traditional public school system.
Critics of the proposal say it is a veiled attempt to begin a school voucher program.
"These ESAs will support all South Dakota students. We will provide families greater opportunities to choose the best fit for their child’s education. And we won’t impact the funding that goes to our great public schools,” Noem said Tuesday.
Additionally, South Dakota News Watch reports that state Representative Tony Venhuizen (R- Sioux Falls) has floated a proposal to increase the state’s sales tax rate from 4.2 percent to 5 percent. That would raise an estimated $280 million in general fund revenue to be used to provide property tax relief.
*In other news, the City of Sioux City is seeking a new city manager, after the announced retirement of Bob Padmore was announced Tuesday.
Padmore has worked for the city in varying roles for 25 years, and he has served as the top city government post since 2014. Padmore’s retirement date will be April 4, 2025.
“On behalf of the City Council and the entire community, I want to thank Bob for his more than two decades of service to our city,” Mayor Bob Scott said. “Bob has made a lasting positive impact on our community, and we are grateful for his dedication and leadership.”
One of Padmore’s previous city posts was assistant city manager. A press release said Padmore worked closely with staff to implement major projects such as the Seaboard Triumph Foods Expo Center, Cone Park, a major expansion of the city’s trail system, and numerous economic development projects.
Padmore said he truly enjoyed his time working for the city, and said, “It has been a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated team serving our community every day.”
To fill the vacancy in the city manager position, the Sioux City Council members will first select an interim city manager. A national search for a permanent replacement will be conducted in the coming months.
