The Portland School District has a new $171.7 million budget proposal after the plan was presented Tuesday by Superintendent Ryan Scallon.

The budget presented at a school board meeting, must be approved by the city council and voters before implementation.

It calls for a 5.3 percent increase in property taxes, which Scallon says will amount to a $210 increase per year or $17.5 per month for a median-priced home in Portland

The biggest funding increases in the budget are in Early Literacy to boost reading skills ($808,000 for 10 educational technicians and two teachers) and an expansion of Special Education ($400,000 increase in school-based personnel and $991,000 increase in department-based personnel).

It also includes $200,000 for two music teachers, one each at Portland and Deering high schools. as well as additional funding for adult education ($150,000 for contracted strategic planning support), early childhood staffing ($165,000) and evaluation of the district’s multilingual program ($125,000 for contracted review of the program).

The budget further call for an across the board increase in staff salaries of just under 5 percent, which would result in a $6 million increase in expenses before any staff changes are made. Scallon said the increase is meant to make the Portland Public
Schools more competitive in hiring top quality candidates.

Employee benefits are also budgeted to increase by 6% , which would result in a $1.8 million increase in expenses.

The new budget, if approved, would take effect on July 1st. The property tax increase would be smaller than the hike in the current Portland School budget.