The Portland City Council voted Monday to endorse a $101.6 million school budget for the coming year that would avoid teacher layoffs and make additional investments in areas such as science and mathematics education.
Portland residents will vote on the school budget in a referendum on May 13. The portion of the school budget subject to voters’ approval covers $96.3 million of the total, including $76.4 million paid for with property taxes.
The total proposed school budget calls for a 3.3 percent increase over the $98.3 million approved by voters last year.
Superintendent Emmanuel Caulk said the budget would allow the city to continue offering pre-kindergarten programs, and provide more funding for science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.
If approved by voters, the school budget will increase the annual property taxes on a home assessed at $250,000 by $62.70, Caulk said.
The budget would also provide additional funding for Casco Bay High School to hire more teachers and enroll more students in response to demand, save about $250,000 by offering early retirements and hiring teachers with less seniority, and provide $838,660 in local money to adult education programs, up from $724,530 in this fiscal year.
Unlike in past years, the school budget drafting process has been relatively uncontentious. The City Council’s Finance Committee endorsed the budget proposal unanimously and the council voted 8-1 to endorse it and send it to voters next week.
“We think it is well put together,” said Councilor Nicholas Mavodones, chair of the Finance Committee. “It looks out for students … and it is strategic.”
Councilor Jon Hinck cast the lone dissenting vote, citing concerns about increasing residents’ taxes.
The council also held a public hearing Monday on the roughly $120 million budget proposed for municipal services, but did not vote because the Finance Committee is still working on the package. The committee is expected to hold its final meeting on the budget Thursday. The City Council is slated to vote on it May 19.
Also Monday, the council voted unanimously to approve the formal letter revoking the liquor license for Sangillo’s Tavern, a bar on Hampshire Street that police have sought to shut down. The council voted 5-4 in April to deny the liquor license but delayed final action until reviewing the final wording of the letter.
Timothy Bryant, an attorney who represented Sangillo’s at Monday’s hearing, said the tavern’s owners will appeal the decision to the state liquor board. The bar will be allowed to continue serving alcohol while the appeal is pending.
Kevin Miller can be contacted at 791-6312 or at:
Twitter: KevinMillerPPH
Correction: This story was updated at 11:55 a.m., May 6, 2014, to correct the spelling of the name of Timothy Bryant, an attorney representing Sangillo’s Tavern during Monday night’s City Council meeting.
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