School Profile
School And Community
Portland is the largest city in Maine with a population of nearly 70,000. It features industrial and business interests, professional sports, an orchestra, theaters, museums, a busy port and working waterfront, an international jetport and a lively arts district. One of three public high schools in the city, Portland High is among the oldest public high schools in the nation. Portland High School is a comprehensive four-year school located in the downtown district.
Mission: Portland High School cultivates the academic, social, emotional, and civic skills of every student by fostering a mindset of lifelong learning and inspiring students to become dynamic participants in our local and global community.
There are 975 students enrolled as of October 2023. One third of our student population is made up of immigrants, representing 45 different countries and 36 languages, making Portland High School (PHS) one of the most diverse high schools north of Boston. PHS cultivates the academic, social, emotional and civic skills of every student by fostering a mindset of lifelong learning and inspiring students to become dynamic participants in our local and global community. A Freshman Academy paves the way to academic success through high school, and a robust set of extended learning opportunities and internships are available to all students.
Student Demographics
- Total Enrollment: 975
- Class of 2024 size: 260
- Multilingual Learners: 24.2%
- Qualify for free/reduced lunch: 41%
Academic Program
The school offers several levels of content area courses including AP, Honors, College Prep and Co-Taught. There is an accelerated math program, called AMP, which culminates with Calculus AB and BC. Students have the option to attend Portland Arts and Technology High School. Students are eligible to receive a STEM Endorsement and Seal of Biliteracy on their transcripts.
Honors & Advanced Placement
Honors courses are offered in the following disciplines: English, Math, Social Studies, French, Latin, Spanish, Computer Science, Engineering, Science, Band, and Orchestra.
Advanced Placement courses are offered in the following disciplines: English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Calculus AB and BC, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Art: 2D, Art: Drawing, Art: 3D, U.S. History, and Psychology. AP courses are open enrollment, and students have the option to take the exam. In past years, students had the opportunity to take online AP courses offered through the AP4ME program.
Dual Learning & Early College
Dual Enrollment (DE) options are available for Statistics (University of Southern Maine) and Junior Planning (University of Maine, INT193: Career Exploration and Development). All Juniors have the option to take Junior Planning for college credit.
Early College opportunities are available to students who wish to take college courses while in high school through the University of Maine System, Maine Community College System, and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.
Extended Learning Opportunities & Capstones Project
Extended Learning Opportunities, including internships, are available to all students in grades 10-12. 15% of the Class of 2023 completed at least one internship. Nearly 10% of our current Seniors are enrolled in an internship or class mentoring experience.
Capstone Projects require students to engage in deep and meaningful research that answers an essential question developed by them. As capstones are a graduation requirement, 100% of the Class of 2023 completed a Capstone Project.
Race-Ethnicity
- 12% - Hispanic/Latino
- 4.6% - Asian
- 23.2% - Black/African American
- 53.5% - White
- 6.7% - American Indian/Alaskan Native/Bi-racial
Student Achievement
115 Students Took 230 AP
Exams
AP Scores 2022-23
- Score 5: 19%
- Score 4: 20%
- Score 3: 29%
Awards Include:
- 21 AP Scholars
- 10 AP Scholars with Honor
- 7 AP Scholars with Distinction
Due to the Coronavirus, classes were held online for all students beginning March 13, 2020 through the end of the 19/20 school year. Fourth quarter grades in 19/20 were labeled as pass or insufficient evidence and final 19/20 numeric grades were awarded based on the higher of the average of quarters 1-3, or quarters 1-4. Grades 10, 11 and 12 continued learning remotely during the 20/21 school year using a 4X4 block schedule. Many students participated in a true hybrid learning schedule from April of 2021 to June 2021. In 21/22, we returned to our standard alternating day schedule, with the majority of our core classes meeting every other day for the full year. For 2022-23, all students were back in the building full time.
SNAPSHOT OF THE CLASS OF 2023
Percent of Student in Class of 2023 vs. Weighted GPA
Class of 2023 Mean SAT Scores
| ERW | Math |
| 505 | 483 |
Grading Equivalents
A = 93-100
B = 85-92
C = 78-84
D = 70-77
F = 69 And Below
Weighted Grade Scale
Advanced Placement (Ap) = +6
Honors (Hr) = +4
Graduation Requirements
A minimum of 41 Credits distributed as follows:
| 8 English | 6 Math |
| 6 History | 6 Science |
| 2 Fine Arts | 2 Phys.Ed. |
| 1 Health | 10 Electives |
In addition, students must complete a Capstone Project and a Post Secondary Plan.
CLASS OF 2023: POST SECONDARY PLANS
| 4-year school 51.6% | 2-year school 34.2% | Employment 6.5% | Other Post Secondary 2.3% | Gap Year 5.1% |
CLASS OF 2022: Matriculations
| American University Arcadia University Bard College Barnard College Bates College Berklee College of Music Boston University Bowdoin College Central Maine Community College Colby College Connecticut College Drexel University Eastern Maine Community College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Endicott College Florida Institute of Technology Hartwick College Husson University Iona University Ithaca College |
James Madison University Lasell University Louisiana State University Loyola University Maryland Maine Maritime Academy Merrimack College Middlebury College Northwestern University Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus Providence College Rochester Institute of Technology Saint Joseph's College of Maine Saint Michael's College Salve Regina University Skidmore College Smith College Southern Maine Community College Stanford University |
Suffolk University Tiffin University Towson University University of California-San Diego University of Colorado Boulder University of Connecticut University of Maine University of Massachusetts-Amherst University of Massachusetts-Boston University of New England University of New Hampshire University of Rhode Island University of Southern Maine University of Vermont University of Washington-Seattle Campus University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Vassar College Wesleyan University Westfield State University Wheaton College - Massachusetts |