Both business owners and consumers in South Dakota reportedly don’t mind experiencing an increase in the state’s sale tax for the benefit of raising teacher pay, said KSFY.com.

The state’s "Blue Ribbon tax force proposed increasing the average teacher pay from $40,000 to $48,000 with the help of a sales tax increase,” the article said.

This increased sale tax would likely be noticed by consumers on certain items such as “big ticket items,” but the general public is seemingly in support of helping the state’s teachers earn the pay they deserve.

The issue is even bipartisan: "Both Democrats and Republicans KSFY spoke with in Sioux Falls Thursday afternoon said if paying a little more at shops and restaurants is what it will take to stop the teacher shortage, they are all for it. Some added that with sales tax, everyone who comes to and through South Dakota will be making an investment in our kids,” the article said.

Though the task force said it would try to use existing funds as much as possible for the proposed plan to increase teacher pay- a $75 million endeavor- before increasing the sales tax, “the idea of raising taxes for teachers seems to [nonetheless] be going over pretty well,” even for those with some reservations about raising taxes.

“'My wife is actually a teacher and I do think the salaries need to be raised. Is raising the sales tax the best way to do, it? Right now that’s the only argument I’ve heard, so I would be for it unless there's some other alternatives to doing it,’ Sioux Falls resident Tim Karels told KSFY.

Read the full story here.

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

11/13/2015