Finance committee forwards Portland Public Schools $171.8 million FY2026 budget to full council

Portland’s Finance Committee voted April 29 to send Portland Public Schools’ proposed fiscal year 2026 budget to the full City Council for consideration.

The committee advanced the district’s recommended $171,800,000 budget — about $162 million on the local side — following a public hearing and remarks by Superintendent Scallon and board members. Superintendent Scallon told the committee the draft is $28,000 higher than the version presented in March and includes all district revenue, not only local funds.

Why it matters: The proposal would raise the school portion of property tax rates by 5.33 percent, equal to about 42 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, and includes targeted investments intended to support special education, multilingual services, elementary literacy, adult education and music at high schools. Committee approval is time-sensitive because the council is scheduled for the district budget’s first reading on Monday and a final vote later in May.

The budget document presented to the committee shows several drivers of higher costs. Salary expense is budgeted to increase by just under 5 percent (about $6 million) from FY2025 to FY2026. Medical benefits are projected to rise by 7.4 percent (about $1.6 million), inflation on purchasing is estimated at $800,000, and debt service is up…