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Teachers

South Dakota Expands Teaching Scholarships to Address Teacher Shortage

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As the state grapples with widespread teacher shortages, the South Dakota Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship Board has decided to expand its teaching scholarships to cover all prospective K-12 teachers. This move comes in response to persistent turnover and vacancies across nearly all teaching disciplines. According to state officials, public school districts reported 1,178 full-time equivalent instructors no longer employed at the end of the 2023-24 school year, and 137 full-time equivalent teaching positions were unfilled statewide at the start of the current school year.

Key Takeaways:

  • The South Dakota Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship Board has voted to expand its teaching scholarships to cover all prospective K-12 teachers, in response to teacher shortages across the state.
  • Current recipients must maintain a 2.8 grade-point average and teach in the state for five years.
  • State officials presented data showing persistent turnover and vacancies across nearly all teaching disciplines, with 1,178 full-time equivalent instructors no longer employed at the end of the 2023-24 school year, and 137 full-time equivalent teaching positions unfilled statewide at the start of the current school year.
  • The scholarship board has agreed to open the scholarship to all K-12 teacher education students, making it auto-renewable for recipients who maintain the required GPA.
  • The application window for the Critical Teaching Needs Scholarship opens on November 1 and closes on December 15.
  • The state has also seen a decline in ACT scores, but still outperforms similar states and the national average.

Statistics:

  • 1,178 full-time equivalent instructors were no longer employed at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
  • 137 full-time equivalent teaching positions were unfilled statewide at the start of the current school year.
  • $120,732 in scholarships were awarded to twelve students for the 2023-24 school year, averaging around $10,000 per student.
  • Awardees must maintain a 2.8 grade-point average to be eligible for the scholarship.
  • The scholarship is funded by interest earned on the state's Education Enhancement Trust Fund.

Sources:

  • https://tdx.sdbor.edu/TDClient/33/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=393
  • https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/10/15/south-dakota-average-act-score-declines-outperforms-similar-states-national-average/
  • https://doe.sd.gov/data/turnover.aspx
  • https://southdakotasearchlight.com/subscribe

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