NEWPORT — Residents will have the opportunity to amend the School District’s proposed $22 million budget at Saturday’s deliberative session beginning at 9 a.m. at the Newport Middle High School.

The budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 represents an increase of 1.6%, or $343,000 from the current year and includes $105,385 for a one-year contract for the district’s support staff.

Also on the warrant is an increase in salaries and benefits of $373,354 in the current teachers’ contract, which the School Board agreed to reopen last year.

The budget, as proposed, would add 47 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation to the school tax rate and the increase in the teachers’ contract adds another 50 cents for a combined 97 cents. If both articles are approved as recommended by the school district at the March 12 vote, annual school taxes on a property assessed at $200,000 would increase $194.

Another article instructs the School Board to “make all reasonable and prudent efforts” to recover the cost of the portable classroom that is being removed to make way for the new Career Technical Education building just north of the high school.

Voters are also being asked to appropriate another $1.8 million for the ongoing $15 million CTE center project with the money to come from state building aid, federal funds and interest income. There will be no tax rate impact.

The default budget, implemented if the proposed budget fails, is $22.1 million.