Following the return of election results on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Superintendent Ryan Scallon and Portland Board of Public Education Chair Sarah Lentz issued a joint statement expressing deep gratitude to city voters and partners for their resounding approval of the Portland Public Schools’ $179.3 million budget for fiscal year 2027. The budget was approved by a margin of more than 3 to 1.

“We are profoundly grateful to Portland voters for approving our school budget for the 2026-2027 school year,” Scallon and Lentz said. “By supporting this budget at the polls, our community has once again demonstrated how deeply it values a quality public education for our city’s young people.”

This $179.3 million comprehensive budget is designed to continue the meaningful progress our district has seen over the past two years of implementing our five-year Strategic Plan—particularly in improving reading and math outcomes for economically disadvantaged students, multilingual students learning English and students with IEPs.

Developing this year's budget brought significant hurdles, driven largely by a $4.1 million reduction in state funding due to lower enrollment and rising city property values. Addressing that deficit required a carefully balanced approach. The final budget represents a commitment to fiscal stewardship and responsibility, while simultaneously making strategic investments to maintain our momentum for student success.

Thank you, Portland, for standing with our schools, investing in our students and helping us stay the course toward success for every learner.”

The approved FY27 budget consists of a local budget of $167 million and $12.3 million in additional funds. It will raise the school portion of the property tax rate an estimated 5.68%. For the owner of a median-priced $566,600 home, that means a property tax increase of $201.60 per year or $16.80 per month.

Voter approval of the budget neared 78%.

Learn more about the budget on the FY2027 Budget Page on the PPS website. View the budget referendum results, which are unofficial until formally certified later this month.

The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest school district, with more than 6,200 students, and it’s also the most diverse. About one-third of the district’s students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken—a total of 61 languages. Approximately 49 percent of the district’s students are white and 51 percent are students of color. More than half of all PPS students are economically disadvantaged.