On the campaign trail, then-candidate Dennis Daugaard reassured citizens that South Dakota wasn’t facing a budget crisis. He estimated the state was facing an $85 million budget shortfall, spoke-out against across-the-board cuts and talked about possibly using state reserves to bring the state’s finances into balance. A few months later, the tone has changed dramatically.

The state acted outside of the intent of federal legislation aimed at saving education jobs but met its obligations to comply with the letter of the law, the state’s top budget official said in February.

Members of Senate Education voted 5-2 in February to turn away legislation aimed at reducing per-student aid for students who attend school outside his or her resident district.

Backed by the weight of the governor’s office, a proposal to eliminate restrictions on school district general fund balances won unanimous approval from members of Senate Education.

Lawmakers have turned away a measure requiring all school districts to adopt bullying policies.

Two proposals intended to prevent cuts to K-12 education won approval in January from the Senate Education Committee.