PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota school districts will have greater flexibility in managing federal education dollars after Gov. Larry Rhoden and the South Dakota Department of Education received approval from the Trump administration to offer statewide Education Flexibility (Ed-Flex) waivers.
According to state officials, the waivers allow the Department of Education to waive restrictions on how much Title I funding school districts can carry over from one year to the next. Previously, districts could receive approval for a carryover waiver only once every three years.
In addition to the Ed-Flex approval, the Department of Education has requested a state-level activities consolidation, which officials said would provide more strategic use of federal funds while aligning spending with state education priorities.
The department identified two key focus areas for the additional flexibility: strengthening literacy instruction through the Science of Reading approach and improving math achievement through the implementation of new common-sense math standards.
Secretary of Education Dr. Joseph Graves said the added flexibility will help school districts better match resources to local needs while supporting student success across South Dakota.
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