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Welcome Class of 2027!

We want to welcome students and their families to PHS and share with you some of the exciting things we will be doing to help you prepare for the next four years.

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View Our Calendar

Our calendar contains upcoming events, holidays, and early release reminders!

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Meet the Superintendent Finalists

The Board of Public Education has selected 2 finalists for the position of superintendent of PPS!

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Portland High Calendar

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News/Announcements

PHS News

Catch up on the latest school news and events.

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PHS Student Wins 2023 Step Up Award

Baleria Yugu is the 2023 recipient of the Portland High School Step Up Award. The Step Up Award at Portland High School provides funding for students in the Make It Happen! program who would otherwise have to forego school-year extracurricular opportunities in order to work after school and/or on weekends. Baleria, a rising junior at Portland High School, will receive $1,250 per semester until graduation for her last two years of high school. The Step Up Award was created by Ann and Bill Weber, parents of two Portland High School graduates.

  • Portland High School
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about PHS Student Wins 2023 Step Up Award
Two Finalists for Superintendent of PPS

After a nationwide search, the Portland Board of Public Education has narrowed the pool of applicants for the position of superintendent of the Portland Public Schools down to two finalists. They are Eric Moore, currently senior advisor to the superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, and Dr. Ryan Scallon, who is an assistant superintendent in the School District of Philadelphia. Scallon holds a doctorate degree in education and Moore is on track to earn his doctorate in education later this year.

Now that the field has been narrowed down, key stakeholders, including members of the Portland Board of Public Education, staff, students, parents and other community members, will interview them on May 17 and 18. The interviews with students, parents and community members will be live-streamed and recorded for public viewing.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Two Finalists for Superintendent of PPS
Council Committee Endorses School Budget

On Thursday, April 27, the City Council’s Finance Committee voted unanimously to recommend the Portland Board of Public Education’s $143.8 million school budget for the 2023-2024 school year to the full City Council. Members of that Council committee praised the collaborative way the district and Board worked with councilors to craft the FY24 budget and said they appreciated the efforts to meet student and staff needs while reining in costs.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Council Committee Endorses School Budget
Council Receives Board’s Recommended Budget

On April 24, the Portland Board of Public Education presented its recommended $143.8 million school budget for the 2023-2024 school year to the City Council. Board Chair Sarah Lentz and Interim Co-Superintendents Aaron Townsend and Melea Nalli, who jointly made the presentation, told the Council that the budget is a fair and responsible one at a time of daunting fiscal challenges. “This budget reinvests in core operations such as finance and human resources, while also investing in student-facing staff to support all of our students, including our many newly arrived multi-language learners,” they said. “Within this budget, we’ve also done our best to anticipate and plan for the FY25 budget, when the district will no longer have access to federal COVID money and will likely face decreased funding from the state level. This budget does all that while simultaneously being mindful of the tax burden on Portland residents in a year when inflation is higher than most can remember.”

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Council Receives Board’s Recommended Budget
Board Approves $143.8 Million School Budget

The Portland Board of Public Education voted unanimously on April 11 to approve a $143.8 million FY24 school budget to recommend to the City Council. The Board’s budget will enable the district to maintain its Portland Promise gains for the 2023-2024 school year, support students and staff and improve operational effectiveness, while being cognizant of Portland taxpayers. The Board will present its recommended budget to the City Council on April 24. The Council will vote on the school budget in May and send it to voters on June 13.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Board Approves $143.8 Million School Budget
Students Win Painting for Purpose Grants

Students in the Make It Happen! Program at Lyman Moore Middle School are embarking on a community-building cooking project. A senior at Deering High School is creating a welcoming Persian mural for the school. A Portland High School senior has curated a show of artwork from Portland Public Schools high students that is currently on display at the Portland Public Library’s Lewis Gallery. All these student-led projects are made possible with grants from Painting for a Purpose.

  • Deering High School
  • Lyman Moore Middle School
  • Portland High School
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Students Win Painting for Purpose Grants
Standout Students Win Principal’s Awards

Each year, Maine high school principals nominate one senior from their schools to receive an MPA Principal’s Award. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals' Association, is given in recognition of a high school senior's academic achievement and good citizenship.The 2023 MPA Principal’s Award winners from the Portland Public Schools’ three high schools are: Abdullah Alzamilli, at Portland High School, selected by Principal Sheila Jepson; Anja Franck at Deering High School, selected by Co-Principal and Interim Assistant Superintendent Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed; and Greta Holmes at Casco Bay High School, selected by Principal Derek Pierce.

  • High Schools
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Standout Students Win Principal’s Awards
9th STEM Expo Back In Person

The STEM Expo, put on each year by the Portland Public Schools in partnership with EnviroLogix, is back in person in 2023, for the first time since the pandemic. Also, the event is divided into three separate days this year – March 31, April 6 and April 13 – at the district’s high schools to make it easier for high school students to attend.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about 9th STEM Expo Back In Person
PHS Principal Wins MASL Award!

The Maine Association of School Libraries (MASL) presented its 2023 School Administrator of the Year award to Portland High School Principal Sheila Jepson on March 22.  The award honors administrators who have made worthy contributions to the operations of effective school library media services.

  • Portland High School
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about PHS Principal Wins MASL Award!
Superintendents Present FY24 Budget Proposal

The $141.3 million Portland Public Schools superintendents’ recommended school budget for the 2023-2024 school year has three key priorities: It maintains the district’s commitment to its Portland Promise goals of Achievement, Whole Student and People – all centered on the fourth goal of Equity; is responsive to the needs of all students, especially students newly learning English; and improves operational effectiveness in such areas as finance and human resources. The FY24 budget balances challenging fiscal constraints, including a significant reduction in state aid and inflation, with increased costs to support staff and students, while being cognizant of taxpayers. It would increase the school portion of the tax rate by 7 percent, adding about $15.60 per month to the tax bill of the average homeowner.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Superintendents Present FY24 Budget Proposal
Inspiring Humanities/ELA Learning at PPS

Portland Public Schools educators at the high school, middle school and elementary level recently shared some examples of innovative humanities and English language arts (ELA) teaching and learning in our schools this year. Read on to learn more details.

  • Casco Bay High School
  • East End Community School
  • King Middle School
  • Lyman Moore Middle School
  • Portland High School
  • Portland Public Schools
  • Talbot Community School
Read More about Inspiring Humanities/ELA Learning at PPS
Spinglass Audit Results Shared

The Spinglass Management Group has completed its audit of the Portland Public Schools’ payroll practices and issued a report. The report reflects many of the payroll problems – with systems, staffing and processing – that the district has already shared since the beginning of its payroll issues this fall. The report also details significant strides the district has made to stabilize systems, enter into an agreement to outsource payroll functions, and increase payroll staffing. Additionally, it outlines the work the district continues to do to resolve outstanding concerns.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Spinglass Audit Results Shared
PforP Helps Students Make a Difference!

Painting for a Purpose, a local nonprofit organization founded by teachers, brings creative people together to paint whimsical decorative items that they sell to raise money to fund service-learning projects led by Portland Public Schools students who want to make a difference. Students receive up to $500 to put their idea into action. So far this school year, Painting for a Purpose has funded a wide variety of PPS students' amazing service-learning projects.

For example, a King Middle School sixth-grader won a grant to help her share Ethiopian cuisine and traditions with the school community. She conducted independent research on Ethiopia and fed her classmates injera flatbread and other Ethiopian food. She had a meal catered from Asmara Restaurant, and shared a presentation that celebrated her culture and educated others on her mother’s home country. Click HERE to learn about this and the seven other projects that Painting for a Purpose helped make a reality this year.

  • Deering High School
  • King Middle School
  • PATHS
  • Portland High School
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about PforP Helps Students Make a Difference!
Awesome Science & Math Learning at PPS

Portland Public Schools educators at the high school, middle school and elementary level recently shared some examples of awesome science and math learning happening at their schools this year. Read on to learn more details:

  • Cliff Island School
  • East End Community School
  • King Middle School
  • Lincoln Middle School
  • Lyman Moore Middle School
  • Portland High School
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Awesome Science & Math Learning at PPS
Superintendent Search Update - January 6

Alma Advisory Group, the professional search firm that the Portland Board of Public Education hired last month to aid in the search for a new superintendent, met with the Board and the Superintendent Search Committee earlier this week. Alma made a presentation as it worked with the Board and the Search Committee to define the scope of the work, the search timeline and community engagement in the search process.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
  • Superintendent Search Committee 22-23
Read More about Superintendent Search Update - January 6
Board Appoints Interim Co-Superintendents

Following the Dec. 16 resignation of Superintendent Xavier Botana, effective this month, the Portland Board of Public Education at its Jan. 3 meeting appointed assistant superintendents Melea Nalli and Aaron Townsend to be interim co-superintendents until a new superintendent is selected by June. Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed, currently co-principal at Deering High School, will take on the role of interim assistant superintendent for the transition. The team will move fully into leadership after Jan. 13.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Board Appoints Interim Co-Superintendents
State of Schools 2022 Presented

Portland Board of Public Education Chair Sarah Lentz presented the 2022 State of the Schools address to the City Council and the public on Monday, Dec. 19. The City Charter requires that the Board chair deliver an annual address to the Council on the state of the public education system in Portland.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about State of Schools 2022 Presented
Board Accepts Botana’s Resignation

The Portland Board of Public Education voted on Friday, Dec.16, to accept the resignation of Superintendent Xavier Botana, effective January 31, 2023, or the starting date of an interim superintendent, whichever is first. Botana had planned to retire in June 2023, but he cited the district’s continuing payroll issues as the reason for his stepping aside now to let new leadership bring closure to the payroll challenges.

  • Elementary Schools
  • High Schools
  • Middle Schools
  • Portland Adult Education
  • Portland Public Schools
Read More about Board Accepts Botana’s Resignation

Testimonials

What students and alumni have to say about our school.

All of my teachers went out of their way to make sure I had the resources I needed to achieve my goals. The extracurricular programs allowed me to find my passion in helping others.

  • Alexandra Kiladjian
  • Portland High

PHS provided me with a strong foundation of cultural understanding, willingness to lead, and intellectual curiosity that have allowed me to fulfill my ambitions.

  • Aren Kiladjian
  • Portland High

All of the teachers in the ELL department went out of their way to help me learn. I had the resources I needed in school and outside the school to achieve my goals.

  • Zehra Abukar
  • Portland High & PATHS

Portland High at a Glance

Facts About Our School

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938

Students Enrolled

Our students come from a wide variety of culturally rich backgrounds. We believe that learning in diverse groups prepares students to thrive.

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21

Languages Spoken by Students

Top 10 most spoken languages in the district includes: English, Somali, Arabic, Lingala, Khmer, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Vietnamese and Kinyarwanda.

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1/3

Immigrant Student Population

PHS is the most diverse high schools north of Boston with 1/3 of student population made up of immigrants representing 45 different countries.

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