Portland voters are being asked to weigh in on a $179.3 million school budget at the ballot box this June.
As proposed, the school budget would carry a 5.68 percent school-side property tax increase, equating to a roughly $200 annual hike on a median-priced $566,600 home.
Due to declining enrollment, the state subsidy received by the school district is set to go down next year, amplifying the budget’s 2.6 percent spending increase. Estimates project that state funding will drop by $4.1 million.
That said, the Legislature approved some changes to the state’s school funding formula this year that the City anticipates will lead to more money becoming available to the district next year.
Although there was originally talk of cutting 20 positions from the budget, several were restored before the proposal was finalized, leaving reductions in place for the district’s central and school offices. Many of the remaining cuts are to positions which are currently vacant.
Last week, the Portland City Council unanimously approved the proposed budget, sending it to this summer’s ballot. All members present, including Mayor Mark Dion, voted in support of advancing the budget as written.
Councilor April Fournier, chair of the City’s Finance Committee, praised the work that went into this year’s budget process, and described the budget as one that “really supports our students, supports staff and supports the community. I’m very, very proud of our schools and think the investment is worth it.”
Superintendent Ryan Scallon told the Council ahead of its vote that “the challenge of this budget is one of managing both fiscal stewardship and experiences and outcomes of our students.” He went on to say that it contains difficult tradeoffs “that the [Board’s] Finance Committee and the overall Board wrestled with.”
The vote on the school budget is scheduled for June 9, 2026, the same day as the primary elections for several key positions, including Maine’s governorship, as well as for seats in the United States Congress.
