Portland High School

Q: Is Portland High School a good school?

Portland High School ranks 58 th of 145 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Portland High School is a public high school serving 311 students in grades 9-12 in the town of Portland, Connecticut. The school is part of the Portland School District, which is ranked 57 out of 158 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Portland High School consistently performs well academically, ranking in the top 25-50% of Connecticut high schools in recent years. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school ranked 58th out of 145 high schools statewide, with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Students demonstrate strong academic achievement on standardized tests, with 68.4% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT/English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 54.8%. However, the school's math proficiency rate of 27.8% lags behind the state average of 29.5%. The school has a relatively homogeneous student population, with 74.28% of students identifying as White, which is higher than the state average and most of the nearby schools, such as Glastonbury High School and Berlin High School. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Portland High School is 23.79%, which is lower than the state average and several of the nearby schools.

While Portland High School's consistent academic performance and low student-teacher ratio of 10:1 are strengths, the school's relative homogeneity in terms of race and socioeconomic status may be an area for the school to consider addressing. Diversity can enhance the educational experience for all students, and the school could learn from its more diverse peers to explore ways to attract a more diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 9-12

95 High Street
Portland, CT 06480

(860) 342-1720

District: Portland School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
58^th of 145 Connecticut High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,285

Feeder schools for Portland High School:

Elementary:	Gildersleeve School
	Valley View School
Middle:	Brownstone Intermediate School
	Portland Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.9

Number of students: 305

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.1%

Hispanic:

13.8%

African American:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 28.9%

See top rated Connecticut high schools

Compare Portland High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Portland High School ranks better than 60% of high schools in Connecticut. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.47. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Portland High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (75.1%), Hispanic (13.8%), African American (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 28.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Portland High School is 9.9. (See more...)

Compare Portland High School employs 30.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Portland High School is $25,285.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Portland High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Portland High School 58^th of 145 Connecticut public high schools. (See Portland High School in the ranking list.)

Portland School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Portland School District 57^th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Portland High School

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Rank History for all students at Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2007	67.34	77^th	176	56.3%
2008	58.38	104^th	176	40.9%
2009	69.54	61^st	176	65.3%
2010	73.57	51^st	186	72.6%
2011	69.81	83^rd	189	56.1%
2012	71.66	70^th	188	62.8%
2013	69.85	78^th	193	59.6%
2015	75.91	43^rd	196	78.1%
2016	78.71	36^th	132	72.7%
2017	79.21	35^th	140	75.0%
2019	66.97	52^nd	121	57.0%
2021	84.88	34^th	200	83.0%
2023	77.32	37^th	142	73.9%
2024	61.47	58^th	145	60.0%

See the entire list of Connecticut High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	58.75	75^th	175	57.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	63.74	53^rd	155	65.8%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	78.44	41^st	189	78.3%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	88.38	21^st	182	88.5%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	73.23	30^th	105	71.4%
2019	44.59	76^th	113	32.7%
2021	78.23	28^th	155	81.9%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Portland High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	332	16	5	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	359
1989	290	17	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	314
1990	252	10	2	5	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	269
1991	236	12	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	257
1992	223	18	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	249
1993	223	15	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	246
1994	246	20	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	275
1995	246	12	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	268
1996	246	12	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	268
1997	291	13	0	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	316
1998	280	10	0	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
1999	276	13	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	299
2000	290	15	1	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	315
2001	269	12	2	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	293
2002	257	16	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	288
2003	257	16	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	288
2004	274	15	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	300
2005	295	16	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	320
2006	149	11	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	165
2007	335	12	3	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	362
2008	335	14	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	362
2009	334	10	2	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	362
2010	329	12	4	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	362
2011	363	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	367
2012	329	8	2	12	0	0	9	0	360
2013	334	12	2	15	0	0	11	0	374
2014	336	11	4	20	0	0	13	0	384
2015	312	11	6	28	0	0	12	0	369
2016	325	10	8	31	0	0	10	0	384
2017	312	10	9	29	1	1	14	0	376
2018	306	14	6	34	1	0	14	0	375
2019	315	16	5	35	1	0	19	0	391
2020	300	13	5	32	1	0	19	0	370
2021	280	10	5	37	0	0	16	0	348
2022	258	8	5	48	0	0	13	0	332
2023	231	12	6	49	0	0	13	0	311
2024	229	16	5	42	0	0	11	2	305

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Portland High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	359	29.0	12.3	n/a
1989	314	29.7	10.5	n/a
1990	269	26.1	10.3	n/a
1991	257	26.9	9.5	n/a
1992	249	23.9	10.4	2.8
1993	246	23.9	10.3	0.4
1994	275	23.2	11.9	6.2
1995	268	26.6	10.1	5.6
1996	268	26.6	10.1	5.6
1997	316	28.4	11.1	5.7
1998	306	28.7	10.7	7.5
1999	299	30.3	9.9	6.7
2000	315	30.9	10.2	7
2001	293	32.4	9.0	n/a
2002	288	30.8	9.4	6.9
2003	288	30.8	9.4	6.9
2004	300	31.8	9.4	0.7
2005	320	27.5	11.6	n/a
2006	165	27.1	6.1	14.5
2007	362	26.2	13.8	7.5
2008	362	29.5	12.3	10.2
2009	362	31.9	12.1	12.2
2010	362	29.5	12.2	11.9
2011	367	28.7	12.7	11.2
2012	360	28.6	12.5	14.7
2013	374	28.1	13.3	13.6
2014	384	28.6	13.4	16.7
2015	369	30.0	12.3	20.1
2016	384	31.0	12.3	19.3
2017	376	30.6	12.2	18.6
2018	375	33.8	11.0	18.4
2019	391	30.8	12.6	23.5
2020	370	32.6	11.3	22.7
2021	348	32.8	10.6	23.9
2022	332	30.9	10.7	20.8
2023	311	30.9	10.0	23.8
2024	305	30.6	9.9	28.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Portland High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	359	29.0	12.3	n/a
1989	314	29.7	10.5	n/a
1990	269	26.1	10.3	n/a
1991	257	26.9	9.5	n/a
1992	249	23.9	10.4	2.8
1993	246	23.9	10.3	0.4
1994	275	23.2	11.9	6.2
1995	268	26.6	10.1	5.6
1996	268	26.6	10.1	5.6
1997	316	28.4	11.1	5.7
1998	306	28.7	10.7	7.5
1999	299	30.3	9.9	6.7
2000	315	30.9	10.2	7
2001	293	32.4	9.0	n/a
2002	288	30.8	9.4	6.9
2003	288	30.8	9.4	6.9
2004	300	31.8	9.4	0.7
2005	320	27.5	11.6	n/a
2006	165	27.1	6.1	14.5
2007	362	26.2	13.8	7.5
2008	362	29.5	12.3	10.2
2009	362	31.9	12.1	12.2
2010	362	29.5	12.2	11.9
2011	367	28.7	12.7	11.2
2012	360	28.6	12.5	14.7
2013	374	28.1	13.3	13.6
2014	384	28.6	13.4	16.7
2015	369	30.0	12.3	20.1
2016	384	31.0	12.3	19.3
2017	376	30.6	12.2	18.6
2018	375	33.8	11.0	18.4
2019	391	30.8	12.6	23.5
2020	370	32.6	11.3	22.7
2021	348	32.8	10.6	23.9
2022	332	30.9	10.7	20.8
2023	311	30.9	10.0	23.8
2024	305	30.6	9.9	28.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Portland High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$16,741
2019	$17,514
2020	$18,396
2021	$19,415
2022	$22,083
2023	$25,285

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Portland High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 52^nd of 121 High schools	Ranks 37^th of 142 High schools	16.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Portland High School)	64.4	64.3	0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Portland School District)	64.4	64.8	0.4%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	61.6	52.4	9.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	391	311	20.5%
African American	16	12	25%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	5	6	20%
Hispanic	35	49	40%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	315	231	26.7%
Two or More Races	19	13	31.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.5%	23.8%	0.3%

Schools Near Portland High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)	SAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Math (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Math 11th Grade	Total
Portland High School	Public	9-12	95 High Street	Portland	06480	Middlesex County	Portland School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 342-1720	305	31	9.9	28.9%	229 (75.1%)	16 (5.2%)	42 (13.8%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.6%)	61.5	58^th of 145 public high schools	60.0%		77.3	37^th of 142 public high schools	73.9%	21		68.4	27.8	$25,285
Whiting Forensic Hospital	Public	9-12	70 O'Brien Drive	Middletown	06457	Middlesex County	Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(860) 262-7175	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Middletown High School	Public	9-12	200 LaRosa Lane	Middletown	06457	Middlesex County	Middletown School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 704-4500	1,220	103	11.8	47.0%	509 (41.7%)	281 (23.0%)	261 (21.4%)	56 (4.6%)	3 (0.2%)	9 (0.7%)	97 (8.0%)	26.7	101^st of 145 public high schools	30.3%		37.3	81^st of 142 public high schools	43.0%	20	29.0	44.9	16.2	$25,207
Cromwell High School	Public	9-12	1 Donald Harris Dr.	Cromwell	06416	Middlesex County	Cromwell School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 632-4841	523	48	11.0	30.2%	347 (66.3%)	56 (10.7%)	69 (13.2%)	33 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	13 (2.5%)	73.2	41^st of 145 public high schools	71.7%		73.3	43^rd of 142 public high schools	69.7%	2	59.2	68.0	39.2	$20,983
Vinal Technical High School	Public	9-12	60 Daniels St.	Middletown	06457	Middlesex County	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	No	(860) 344-7100	547	52	10.5	38.6%	355 (64.9%)	38 (6.9%)	114 (20.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.0%)	8.6	133^rd of 145 public high schools	8.3%		12.5	122^nd of 142 public high schools	14.1%	11	13.0		6.1	$31,996
East Hampton High School	Public	9-12	15 North Maple St.	East Hampton	06424	Middlesex County	East Hampton School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 365-4030	507	43	11.7	18.7%	443 (87.4%)	6 (1.2%)	37 (7.3%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.2%)								(n/a)	63.0			$20,412
Rocky Hill High School	Public	9-12	50 Chapin Ave.	Rocky Hill	06067	Hartford County	Rocky Hill School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 258-7721	717	68	10.5	24.4%	415 (57.9%)	25 (3.5%)	88 (12.3%)	158 (22.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (3.9%)	69.2	45^th of 145 public high schools	69.0%		87.4	17^th of 142 public high schools	88.0%	28	48.7	62.5	48.1	$22,443
Berlin High School	Public	9-12	139 Patterson Way	Berlin	06037	Hartford County	Berlin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 828-6577	835	70	11.8	23.4%	624 (74.7%)	22 (2.6%)	123 (14.7%)	40 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.0%)	77.5	33^rd of 145 public high schools	77.2%		80.2	28^th of 142 public high schools	80.3%	5	74.9	68.5	36.6	$21,649
Coginchaug Regional High School	Public	9-12	135 Pickett Ln.	Durham	06422	Middlesex County	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7215	359	38	9.3	16.2%	302 (84.1%)	4 (1.1%)	32 (8.9%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	76.1	36^th of 145 public high schools	75.2%					(n/a)	62.6	68.4		$29,073
Glastonbury High School	Public	9-12	330 Hubbard St.	Glastonbury	06033	Hartford County	Glastonbury School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 652-7200	1,780	136	13.0	14.0%	1,150 (64.6%)	66 (3.7%)	210 (11.8%)	251 (14.1%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (5.4%)								(n/a)	62.7			$23,580

Frequently Asked Questions about Portland High School

What is the racial makeup of Portland High School?

Students at Portland High School are 75% White, 14% Hispanic, 5% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Portland High School in?

Portland School District

How many students attend Portland High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 305 students attended Portland High School.

What schools feed into Portland High School?

Portland High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Gildersleeve School
Elementary : Valley View School
Middle : Brownstone Intermediate School
Middle : Portland Middle School

Is Portland High School a good school?

Portland High School ranks 58^th of 145 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.