Opinion ID: 2134925
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Whether Department had the authority to order back pay and prejudgment interest.

Text: District argues that Department lacked the authority necessary to award back pay and prejudgment interest and that Department's order impermissibly invaded District's legislative power to determine teachers' salaries. In Kierstead v. City of Rapid City, 248 N.W.2d 363 (S.D.1976), this court stated that Department was without authority to order back pay because it would be, in effect, setting the salary of a municipal officer. We held that under SDCL 3-18-15.2 the Department has authority to act only on grievances that do not involve the exercise of executive or legislative powers or the performance of a governmental function. The setting of salaries for municipal officers by the governing body of the municipality is such a legislative function. Rininger, 468 N.W.2d at 427 (citing Kierstead, 248 N.W.2d at 366). We found Kierstead materially distinguishable and no impediment, however, in Rininger v. Bennett County Sch. Dist., 468 N.W.2d at 427. In Rininger, Department ordered reinstatement of a teacher who was denied a position after taking a leave of absence and payment of the teacher's salary differential. On appeal, we held that the ordered payment of Rininger's salary differential does not impermissibly invade any salary-setting legislative power or governmental function. Id. In this case, as in Rininger, Department had authority to order back pay because it did not change the salaries Cox and Adler would have been paid had District equitably applied the term teaching experience and placed them at their correct salary levels at their time of employment. Id. We affirm the circuit court's order that [t]he ordered back pay with interest does not impermissibly invade any salary-setting legislative power or governmental function of the board. The Department does have the authority to order back pay in these circumstances. Affirmed. WUEST, J., and JOHNSON, Circuit Judge, concur. MILLER, C.J., and HENDERSON, J., dissent. JOHNSON, Circuit Judge, sitting for AMUNDSON, J., disqualified.