South Portland voters approved a 2014-15 school budget on Tuesday by a margin of more than 2-to-1.

The vote was 1,127 to 530 in favor of a 3.5 percent spending increase, according to City Clerk Susan Mooney.

The proposed $44.8 million budget is $1.5 million higher than the $43.3 million current spending plan, said city Finance Director Greg L’Heureux.

New positions proposed for the coming school year include an eighth-grade teacher, an autism specialist at the high school and four special-education technicians, according to school board budget documents.

Meanwhile, the combined $32.5 million municipal and county budget proposal is up about $1 million over the current $31.3 million total.

With the approved school budget, the city’s tax rate is set to increase 52 cents, or about 3 percent, from $16.70 to $17.22 per $1,000 of assessed property value. At the higher rate, the annual tax bill on a $250,000 home would increase $130, from $4,175 to $4,305.