Portland High School

Summary:

Portland High School is a public high school serving 952 students in grades 9-12 in Portland, Maine. The school is part of the Portland Public Schools district, which is ranked 119 out of 177 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Portland High School stands out for its relatively diverse student population, with 53.05% White, 21.64% African American, 13.97% Hispanic, and 4.1% Asian students. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, is generally lower than the state average and nearby schools like Falmouth High School and Scarborough High School. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated, ranging from 33rd out of 114 high schools in 2018-2019 to 73rd out of 123 high schools in 2022-2023, indicating a decline in performance relative to other schools in Maine.

Additionally, Portland High School faces challenges with its graduation rates, which have decreased from 82.4% in 2020-2021 to 77.2% in 2022-2023, lower than the state average and some nearby schools. The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 30.2% in 2020-2021 to 34.3% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the state average and most nearby schools. These factors, along with the school's ranking for low socioeconomic status students being 75th out of 76 high schools in Maine in 2018-2019, suggest that Portland High School faces significant challenges in supporting its diverse student population and addressing achievement gaps.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 284 Cumberland AV
       Portland, ME  04101


(207) 874-8250

District: Portland Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
73rd of 123 Maine High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,468 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  13.8 Help
Number of students:  952

Racial breakdown:

White:
53.0%
African American:
21.6%
Hispanic:
14.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  32.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Portland High School ranks worse than 59.3% of high schools in Maine. It also ranks 2nd among 3 ranked high schools in the Portland Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.06. (See more...)
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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.
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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
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Compare Details Portland High School has the largest high school student body size in the Portland Public Schools District. Student population at Portland High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (53%), African American (21.6%), Hispanic (14%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 32.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Portland Public Schools District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Portland High School is 13.8, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Portland Public Schools District! (See more...)
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Compare Portland High School employs 68.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Portland High School is $17,468. 1 high schools in the Portland Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Portland High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Portland High School 73rd of 123 Maine public high schools. (See Portland High School in the ranking list.)

Portland Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Portland Public Schools 119th of 177 Maine 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 ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 27.58 80th 103 22.3%
2011 32.92 76th 105 27.6%
2012 37.46 65th 107 39.3%
2013 42.24 58th 106 45.3%
2015 7.37 85th 98 13.3%
2016 54.52 40th 111 64.0%
2017 43.96 56th 111 49.5%
2018 53.70 41st 114 64.0%
2019 62.64 33rd 114 71.1%
2022 26.37 84th 98 14.3%
2023 36.06 73rd 123 40.7%
See the entire list of Maine High School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 7.21 75th 76 1.3%
See the entire list of Best Maine 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 ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 52.38 33rd 92 64.1%
See the entire list of Best Maine High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Portland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 60.01 33rd 92 64.1%
See the entire list of Best Maine High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Portland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 49.84 2nd 3 33.3%
See the entire list of Best Maine High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Portland High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 88.90 4th 21 81.0%
See the entire list of Best Maine High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maine 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.

Portland High School Test Scores
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Grades: 
  
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District Scores:
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Data source: Maine Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Portland High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 934 934
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 969 969
1993 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 918 918
1994 841 37 105 8 1 n/a n/a 0 992
1995 908 77 120 22 5 n/a n/a 0 1132
1996 908 77 120 22 5 n/a n/a 0 1132
1997 883 78 96 18 7 n/a n/a 0 1082
1998 877 100 112 25 7 n/a n/a 0 1121
1999 839 127 120 29 3 n/a n/a 0 1118
2000 805 113 116 27 2 n/a n/a 0 1063
2001 794 148 107 29 7 n/a n/a 0 1085
2002 816 201 93 24 9 n/a n/a 0 1143
2003 816 201 93 24 9 n/a n/a 0 1143
2004 847 233 99 38 10 n/a n/a 0 1227
2005 836 244 97 42 11 n/a n/a 0 1230
2006 694 236 108 37 9 n/a n/a 0 1084
2007 640 251 113 49 9 n/a n/a 0 1062
2008 614 247 104 48 12 n/a n/a 0 1025
2009 561 218 95 39 11 n/a n/a 0 924
2010 551 191 99 43 9 n/a n/a 0 893
2011 602 232 93 45 10 0 1 0 983
2012 559 241 73 40 6 1 9 0 929
2013 546 223 70 48 5 1 19 0 912
2014 537 208 59 39 7 1 19 0 870
2015 538 200 53 45 5 0 21 0 862
2016 518 152 48 49 5 0 21 0 793
2017 476 167 27 44 2 1 23 0 740
2018 474 176 23 52 1 0 30 0 756
2019 478 187 21 57 2 0 29 0 774
2020 510 208 25 84 7 0 40 0 874
2021 518 200 31 88 3 0 48 0 888
2022 520 190 36 108 3 0 51 0 908
2023 505 206 39 133 3 0 66 0 952

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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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 934 68.4 13.6 n/a
1992 969 72.0 13.4 n/a
1993 918 70.2 13.1 35
1994 992 69.2 14.3 35.3
1995 1132 69.8 16.2 29.9
1996 1132 69.8 16.2 29.9
1997 1082 69.0 15.7 29.9
1998 1121 68.8 16.3 35.9
1999 1118 73.4 15.2 44.5
2000 1063 76.0 14.0 38.2
2001 1085 78.4 13.8 35.5
2002 1143 74.8 15.3 40.7
2003 1143 74.8 15.3 40.7
2004 1227 79.1 15.5 41
2005 1230 81.6 15.1 45
2006 1084 80.0 13.6 47.3
2007 1062 81.8 13.0 47.5
2008 1025 74.4 13.8 47.4
2009 924 73.1 10.7 48.6
2010 893 70.3 12.7 52.9
2011 983 67.8 14.4 51.7
2012 929 62.9 14.7 n/a
2013 912 63.4 14.3 53.2
2014 870 63.0 13.8 53.9
2015 862 57.0 15.1 53.9
2016 793 59.0 13.4 48.9
2017 740 55.5 13.3 47.2
2018 756 52.5 14.4 43.7
2019 774 53.7 14.4 43.9
2020 874 60.5 14.4 44.1
2021 888 61.8 14.3 38.7
2022 908 66.0 13.7 35.2
2023 952 68.5 13.8 32.9

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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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 934 68.4 13.6 n/a
1992 969 72.0 13.4 n/a
1993 918 70.2 13.1 35
1994 992 69.2 14.3 35.3
1995 1132 69.8 16.2 29.9
1996 1132 69.8 16.2 29.9
1997 1082 69.0 15.7 29.9
1998 1121 68.8 16.3 35.9
1999 1118 73.4 15.2 44.5
2000 1063 76.0 14.0 38.2
2001 1085 78.4 13.8 35.5
2002 1143 74.8 15.3 40.7
2003 1143 74.8 15.3 40.7
2004 1227 79.1 15.5 41
2005 1230 81.6 15.1 45
2006 1084 80.0 13.6 47.3
2007 1062 81.8 13.0 47.5
2008 1025 74.4 13.8 47.4
2009 924 73.1 10.7 48.6
2010 893 70.3 12.7 52.9
2011 983 67.8 14.4 51.7
2012 929 62.9 14.7 n/a
2013 912 63.4 14.3 53.2
2014 870 63.0 13.8 53.9
2015 862 57.0 15.1 53.9
2016 793 59.0 13.4 48.9
2017 740 55.5 13.3 47.2
2018 756 52.5 14.4 43.7
2019 774 53.7 14.4 43.9
2020 874 60.5 14.4 44.1
2021 888 61.8 14.3 38.7
2022 908 66.0 13.7 35.2
2023 952 68.5 13.8 32.9

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

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $14,907
2019 $15,064
2020 $15,153
2021 $16,111
2022 $17,187
2023 $17,468

Data source: Maine 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 33rd of 114 High schoolsRanks 73rd of 123 High schools
 30.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students774952
 23%
African American187206
 10.2%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian2139
 85.7%
Hispanic57133
 133.3%
Pacific Islander00
White478505
 5.6%
Two or More Races2966
 127.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients43.9%32.9%
 11%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Portland High School

Portland High School ranks 73rd of 123 Maine high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 952 students attended Portland High School.

Students at Portland High School are 53% White, 22% African American, 14% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.


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





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