The Portland Board of Public Education voted unanimously on April 8 (yesterday) to recommend to the City Council a fiscal year 2020 budget of $117.8 million. The budget preserves current staffing and programing, expands the districts’ pre-kindergarten program.

“I’m proud of the budget we approved,” said Board Chair Roberto Rodriguez. “I believe the investments we are envisioning will have a positive impact on all Portland Public Schools families.”

The FY 20 budget that the Board approved is virtually identical to the one proposed by the Superintendent Xavier Botana on March 19, but includes an additional $40,000 to continue a pre-kindergarten/kindergarten class at Peaks Island Elementary School. The Board’s finance Committee made that addition when it recommended the budget to the full Board on March 28th.

The Board will present its recommended FY 20 school budget to the City Council on April 22. The Council will then send the budget to its Finance Committee for an April 25 review and recommendation on the bottom line. The Council will hold a first reading and public hearing on the budget on May 6th and vote on it on May 20th.

The proposed $117.8 million budget for FY 20 is up $7.2 million or 6.6 percent over FY 19.