LINCOLN- After two years of relatively stagnant budgets, Lincoln Public Schools is proposing a 5.8% increase in spending for the upcoming school year to account for two new schools opening, salary hikes for teachers and restoring past reductions.

The proposed $489.8 million general fund budget for the 2022-23 school year is a $26.9 million increase from last year, representing "modest growth".

Salary and benefit increases for teachers account for the majority of the growth, in addition to costs for opening Robinson Elementary School and Lincoln Northwest High School this fall.

On the revenue side, LPS is expecting to bring in $487.6 million — an increase of $9.6 million — based on an estimated 3.4% growth in property values across the district. An additional $2.1 million will come from the district's cash reserves.

LPS asked departments to slash their budgets by 5% over the past two years and relied on its cash reserve to manage revenue swings with state aid dropping by 23% from 2018-19 to 2020-21.

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