In Gorham’s proposed budget, eight of the town’s top 10 highest paid employees work for the school department.

The public will have an opportunity to comment on the town’s proposed $36.3 million combined school and municipal budget at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, in the high school auditorium. The school side of the proposed budget is $26.1 million, up $1.2 million over the present $24.9. The town budget is $10.2 million, or $795,080 more than the present $9.4 million.

Under the proposed budget, the school superintendent post would remain the highest paid administrator in Gorham government with a 3 percent increase from $109,000 to $112, 270. The top salary is $21,361 more than that of the town manager, second highest at a proposed $90,909.

Gorham’s top two salaried positions are similar in pay to their Westbrook counterparts. But Gorham’s superintendent would be paid $3,020 more than Westbrook’s highest paid, also that city’s superintendent, who would receive a proposed $109,250. The Gorham town manager would receive $5,426 more than Westbrook’s city administrator, Westbrook’s fourth highest salary at $85,483.

The Gorham schools business manager would stay third with $85,483, while high school and middle school principal positions tied for fourth on Gorham’s top 10 with a proposed $79,873 each. The school principals at Village, Narragansett and White Rock elementary schools along with the special education director would all receive $78,381 under the proposed budget.

Gorham’s director of public works rounded out the top ten with a proposed salary of $74,381.

The top ten highest salaries combined would tally $836,313. Gorham’s town government has 95 full- and regular part-time employees, and the school department has about 400.

Paul Kelly, business manager for Gorham schools, said the salaries of administrators in Gorham reflect the average for school districts in Cumberland County, excluding Portland, South Portland and Brunswick. “We want to pay a competitive wage to keep good people,” Kelly said.

“We don’t compare ourselves to the town,” Kelly said.

The proposed figures in the budget for school administrators include a 3 percent increase under terms in their contracts. The teachers’ contract called for a 2.5 percent increase on their base pay in addition to step increases. Kelly said the School Committee included the raise this year, the second year of a two-year contract, based on what it estimated surrounding school districts had done.

Education technicians got an hourly increase of 20 cents, in addition to step increases similar to other union contracts. Salary and benefit increases represented 3.9 of the 4.9 percent hike in the school budget over the one passed a year ago.

On the town side, the public works post would receive a 4 percent boost, 1 percent more than others on the town’s top 10 list. Gorham Town Manager David Cole said that town administrators eligible for a step increase would receive a 4 percent raise, while others would receive a 3 percent increase.

The salary increases help keep pace with rising cost of living figures. An item costing $10 this year would have cost $9.74 last year, an increase of 3 percent, according to an inflation calculator.

School Committee member James Hager said on Wednesday in a School Committee meeting that the school department got a warm reception in budget discussions with the Town Council last week. But Hager urged parents to turnout in support of the schools budget at the public hearing next week.

Under the proposed school budget, Gorham taxpayers would pickup $11.5 million of the costs.