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More than 30 Portland Public Schools employees are retiring this school year. The retirees were honored by the Portland Board of Public Education and the district in a ceremony on Tuesday, June 10. Those recognized have served throughout the district and held a wide variety of roles in service of students and families.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
Superintendent Ryan Scallon and Board of Public Education Chair Sarah Lentz issued a statement expressing gratitude to City voters for their decisive approval June 10 of the Portland Public Schools’ budget for fiscal year 2026. Voters also elected retired Portland High School music teacher Jayne Sawtelle to a vacant at-large Board seat.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
The Portland Public Schools accepts funding through the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) of 1965. As part of ESEA, the district is required to provide reasonable opportunity for public comment on the consolidated application and consider such comment prior to the submission of the application.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
- Achievement
Cedar Levin, a senior at Portland High School in the dance program at Portland Arts and Technology High School is PATHS Student of the Year for 2024-2025! Cedar has been part of the PATHS dance program for two years, where she excels in every aspect. Each of Maine’s 27 career and technical education (CTE) center annually selects a student of the year.
- PATHS
- Portland Public Schools
The Portland Public schools will be operating various summer meal sites at 11 locations across the city of Portland this summer. All children and teens 18 years and younger can receive a nutritious meal free of charge to be enjoyed on site. Most sites will begin serving on Wednesday, June 25. Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Children and teens can attend any of the meal site locations convenient to them.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
The City Council voted unanimously in May to approve the $171.8 million school budget for the 2025-2026 school year. Now it’s the public’s turn: Portland city voters will be asked to give their stamp of approval to the school budget on Tuesday, June 10. In addition to voting on the budget, Portland voters will also have the chance to vote on two candidates running for a vacant seat on the Portland Board of Public Education.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
High school graduation exercises for the Portland Public Schools Class of 2025 will all take place at Merrill Auditorium. The district’s three high schools will hold their commencement ceremonies on June 4 and 5.
- High Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
The last day of school for students for the 2024-2025 school year will be Tuesday, June 17, and the last teacher day will be Wednesday, June 18. On the last student day, schools will dismiss students three hours before their usual release time.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
The City of Portland will be holding a public meeting on May 22 regarding a proposed cleanup project of some contaminated soil that was unearthed at Fitzpatrick Stadium during renovations there. The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at the parking lot of the stadium, located at 165 Park Avenue.
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
The City Council voted unanimously on May 19 to approve the $171.8 million 2025-2026 school year budget recommended by the Portland Board of Public Education. The vote now sends the budget to City voters on June 10. The budget balances fiscal constraints with necessary investments to increase academic rigor, foster a joyful and supportive school culture and help provide more effective instruction to students with disabilities. It would raise the school portion of the property tax rate by 5.33 percent ($0.42 per $1,000 of assessed value). For the owner of a median-priced $500,000 home, the budget would increase property taxes by $210 per year or $17.50 per month.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
The New England Environmental Finance Center (NEEFC) at the University of Southern Maine is working with the Portland Public Schools (PPS) on a comprehensive environmental audit and action plan to reduce waste and improve sustainability in 17 of the district’s elementary, middle and high schools.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) invites the community to Spring for Teachers, a celebration of Portland teachers. Spring for Teachers will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 5 p.m. to7 p.m. at Bunker Brewing Co. The event will include the presentation of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards.
- High Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
An inaccurate May 1 story by News Center Maine (WCSH6) about the meeting that night of the district's Attendance Boundaries Advisory Committee has generated confusion regarding Lincoln Middle School. At the district's request, WCSH6 has retracted the news report. Please view the following communication from the Portland Public Schools that addresses the inaccuracies and clarifies the role of the Advisory Committee:
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
The annual Portland Public Schools district-wide student art show at City Hall is kicking off with a celebratory reception on Friday, May 2, in conjunction with the May First Friday Art Walk. The event will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until May 16, enabling the public to enjoy student artwork from all schools in the district on display.
- Achievement
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
- Whole Student
Sips, Sweets, and Stories, the spring fundraiser put on by the Portland Public Schools’ Multilingual and Multicultural Center, was a great success. The April 16 event raised nearly $5,000 to benefit the district’s award-winning Make It Happen program, a college-readiness and academic success initiative that equips multilingual students with the skills, confidence, and tools they need to prosper in school and beyond.
- Achievement
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
- Whole Student
A series of stakeholder engagement meetings will take place this month on a proposed policy that would ban students from having cell phones or other personal electronic devices on their person during regular school hours. The stakeholder engagement meetings are designed to get feedback from parents/guardians and staff on the policy before the Board of Public Education votes on it. Separate stakeholder meetings for high school students also are being scheduled by their individual schools.
- Achievement
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
- Whole Student
The proposed $171.8 million FY26 school budget is headed to the City Council for a first read and public hearing on Monday, May 5, following approval by the Council's Finance Committee. This Council public hearing and another one on May 19 are opportunities for the PPS community to make their voices heard regarding this fair and responsible budget, which benefits students and supports educators.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
- Systems
- Equity
At its April 8 meeting, the Board of Public Education unanimously approved a 2025-2026 district calendar that includes Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr as new district holidays. Starting in the fall, students and staff at the Portland Public Schools, Maine’s most diverse school district, can observe those major religious holidays with their families without having to miss school.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
The Portland Board of Public Education voted on April 8 to approve a $171.8 million school budget for the 2025-2026 school year to recommend to the City Council. The Board’s fiscal year 2026 budget focuses on strengthening student experiences and outcomes and is directly aligned to the new Strategic Plan. The Board’s recommended FY26 budget now goes to the City Council, which moves forward its bottom line. A final Council vote on the school budget is anticipated on May 19 and it will go to voters on June 10.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
- Equity
As of April 1, the PPS Food Service team has been serving halal meals as a daily lunch option. Halal refers to foods that are permissible for Muslims to consume. Halal foods are free of ingredients like pork or alcohol, and comply with rules and standards around preparation and cleanliness. PPS halal meals are healthy, more inclusive menu items that all students can enjoy – not just students who follow a halal way of eating.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
- Achievement
Three seniors – Kaia West of Portland High School, Khalid Mahamed of Deering High School and Andrew Box of Casco Bay High School – have been selected by their principals for the annual MPA Principal's Award recognizing high school seniors for achievements in academics and citizenship!
- High Schools
- Portland Public Schools
The Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) is inviting rising juniors and seniors from its 14 sending schools to sign up now for its new Outdoor Education & Leadership Program, which starts this fall. The program will provide hands-on learning experiences in wilderness survival, team-building, environmental stewardship, and outdoor guiding, preparing students for industry certifications and post-secondary opportunities in related fields. It also will help students learn leadership, problem-solving, and risk-management skills.
- High Schools
- Portland Public Schools
Two students in the Commercial & Advertising Art program at the Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) have been recognized on the national level for their artwork by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program. Nola Delcourt, a Casco Bay High School senior, won a National Gold Medal for exceptional work in the “Editorial Cartoon” category with her work titled, “The Fast Food Underbelly.” Zsa Zsa Dolley, whose sending school is Gorham High School, was awarded a National Silver Medal for exceptional work in the “Painting” category with her work titled “The Pains of the Artist."
- High Schools
- Portland Public Schools
Join us for Sips, Sweets, and Stories, the Portland Public Schools’ Make It Happen spring fundraiser! This unforgettable cultural tasting experience will take place on April 16 at Ocean Gateway Pier from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. All funds will go to support of Make It Happen, a program that provides multilingual students with a pathway to academic success and college readiness.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Adult Education
- Portland Public Schools
This is the 11th year of this yearly event that showcases and expands PPS students’ STEM knowledge and exposes them to exciting career opportunities in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
- Elementary Schools
- High Schools
- Middle Schools
- Portland Public Schools
Testimonials
What people have to say about PATHS.
"Within the first day in the program I knew this is exactly what I wanted to do. Every program PATHS offers is very hands-on and will teach you viable skills you won’t be able to learn in a regular school classroom."
- Nina
- Careers in Education
- South Portland High School
"As an educator and parent of those who do not fit in the traditional box of education, Portland Arts Technology High School is a gift to us all. Students can “thrive” not just “survive” in schools."
- Terri
- GNG High School Teacher & PATHS Parent
"From being a Freshman who didn't know what he wanted to do with his future to now being so sure that I want to be a filmmaker and going to film school. If I had never come to PATHS, I would never have that dream."
- Daniel
- New Media
- Casco Bay High School
Portland Arts and Technology High School at a Glance
Facts About Our School
100%
of students gain useful skills
CTE students are significantly more likely to develop problem-solving, project completion, research, communication, time management and critical thinking skills that are necessary for post-secondary success during high school than non-CTE students.
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80%
of students meet college and career readiness goals
80% CTE students meet college and career readiness goals, versus 63% of non-CTE students
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3X
more likely to be "very satisfied" with their education
CTE students and their parents are 3x more likely to report being “very satisfied” with the real-world learning component of their education than non-CTE students and parents.