SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Teachers are paid less in South Dakota than in any other state, and many have had to take on second and even third jobs to make ends meet.

South Dakota's average teacher salary of $40,023 for 2013-14 was $11,888 lower than the combined average paid to teachers in the six bordering states and more than $8,000 less than its next lowest-paying neighbor, North Dakota.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard has proposed a half-cent sales tax increase to help raise teacher pay, but it would require two-thirds approval in both chambers of the conservative Legislature, which has a decidedly anti-tax lean.

Steve Bayer heads the school board in Brookings. He says fewer qualified candidates apply for teaching openings these days, likely because they know they can earn more in nearby Minnesota .

 

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