LEWISTON — Lewiston School Superintendent Bill Webster is recommending a bigger budget to keep pace with a growing student population and new programs to help more students graduate.

He released his proposed budget Wednesday, recommending $54.5 million for 2012-13, up 3.9 percent from the current $52.5 million budget. Of that $54.5 million, $38.6 million would come from state taxpayers, $15.9 million from city taxpayers.

If the proposed budget passes, it would mean property taxes for a home valued at $150,000 would go up about $24 next year.

The proposal would create 18 new positions, half to support more students coming to Lewiston schools, half to staff new programs to improve the city’s graduation rates, which are among the lowest in Maine.

The higher budget also has to cover $707,000 the city received last year from a federal jobs bill to retain teachers. “We have to cover things that were grant-funded this year that won’t be next year,” Webster said.

Higher health care and salary costs are not yet known. “We are in negotiations,” Webster said. “We have reserved for a 5 percent increase for health care.” For salaries Lewiston would use unspecified reserves for increases if negotiated, he said.

Webster is recommending hiring nine new staffers, an assistant principal at the Lewiston Middle School, a part-time assistant principal at Longley, two English language learner teachers, a second-grade teacher at Longley, two special ed technicians, a special education teacher at the Geiger Elementary School and a part-time special ed coordinator at Farwell Elementary School.

The positions would keep pace with more students, Webster said. Lewiston’s enrollment is expected to grow from the current 5,045 to 5,232 next year, or 187 more. Of those, 70 are expected to be ELL students.

The state gives Lewiston extra money for ELL students. “For someone to argue that school expenses are higher in Lewiston because of the ELL population is not accurate,” Webster said.

Of the 18 recommended new positions, nine would staff new programs to help more students do well, stay in school and graduate.

“Lewiston has among the lowest four-year completion rate in Maine,” Webster said. In 2011, 68 percent of Lewiston seniors completed their high school education in four years, significantly below the 2010 state average of 82.8 percent. “In trying to improve that, we’re using other pathways to allow students to be successful,” Webster said.

Those efforts include more alternative programs in high school, elementary in-house suspension programs and more preschool classes for 4-year-olds.

“Dropouts don’t happen in high school,” Webster said. “It happens the day they first walk in the school, or the day they should walk in the school and don’t.” The new programs would “give kids more opportunities to develop the tools they need to be successful.”

His budget would spend $181,000 to create more alternative programs for high school students. “We should be reaching 40 to 50 students that we haven’t reached in the past,” Webster said.

The 40 to 50 students would go to Auburn’s Franklin Alternative High School, Poland Spring Academy and Lewiston Academy, an after-school program that helps students make up credits.

Another $83,000 would create a Lewiston Middle School alternative program. “We would start small, 15 students. We want to be successful,” Webster said. The program would be housed on the second floor of the armory on the middle school side. “It would not interfere with senior programs.”

Another $50,000 would create in-house suspension programs at Longley and the middle school. Last year an in-house suspension program was started at Montello Elementary School and proved successful, Webster said.

Montello Principal Deborah Goding said last year 105 students were given out-of-school suspensions. “This year we have had 14.”

Instead of being kicked out for bad behavior, students attend contained classrooms where they continue their education and work on a re-entry plan to regular classes developed by them and their guidance counselors, Webster said.

“They’re taking responsibility for their behavior and keeping up on their studies,” Webster said. In-house suspended students are isolated from classmates, and students don’t consider it a desired place to be.

“The return rate is very low,” Webster said.

When students are kicked out of school they fall behind in academics, are home watching television or “out on the streets causing trouble,” Webster said.

School Committee members will spend weeks going over the numbers and programs. They are scheduled to vote on a budget April 9.

The budget will then go to the Lewiston City Council and finally to Lewiston voters for a May 15 referendum.

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Lewiston School Department proposed budget