The Portage Area School Board voted to approve a $62,700 payment to Allegheny Restorations for stone wall repairs at the district’s football stadium.

Superintendent Pete Noel said it’s the first payment of three, as the project is about 30% complete.

Noel said the project is to replace mortar joints within the stadium’s walls.

He said the area has been power washed and cleaned and “looks pretty awesome cleaned up.”

The walls will be sealed to prevent any dirt from getting into the sandstone pores, as well as to prevent any water moisture from getting into the sandstone, freezing over winter and causing future problems, Noel said.

“Once the project is done, we have to be very diligent and adamant on keeping it maintained by sealing it,” Noel said.

In other news, business administrator Jeff Vasilko said he’s preparing to present the district’s proposed preliminary budget at next month’s school board meeting, which takes place about 6:30 p.m. May 13 in the elementary school auditorium.

Vasilko said the budget is “not looking too bad” and district officials are awaiting the state’s “final numbers.”

The district’s allocation under Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal is a “nice number,” Vasilko said, adding he hopes the proposal is left unchanged.

Since Portage Area raises taxes every other year to keep its local funding effort in line with where the state wants it to be, Vasilko said there will be a tax increase included in the 2026-27 preliminary budget.