South Portland High School

Summary:

South Portland High School is a public high school serving 1,019 students in grades 9-12 in South Portland, Maine, which is part of the Westbrook Public Schools district. While the school has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools like Falmouth High School and Scarborough High School, its academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is lower than the state and district averages.

South Portland High School's four-year graduation rate has seen a decline, from 85.9% in 2020-2021 to 84.9% in 2021-2022 and 89.1% in 2022-2023, which is lower than the graduation rates of nearby high-performing schools like Falmouth High School (95.8%) and Scarborough High School (92.5%). Additionally, the school has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, with 28.8% of students chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year, significantly higher than the state average of 18.6% and the rates of nearby high-performing schools.

Despite these challenges, South Portland High School has shown some strengths, such as its performance with specific student groups, like female students and Hispanic students, in the 2018-2019 school year. However, the school's statewide ranking has dropped significantly over the past several years, from a high of 21st out of 114 Maine high schools in 2018-2019 to 107th out of 123 Maine high schools in the 2022-2023 school year, indicating a concerning trend that the school and Westbrook Public Schools district should investigate and address.

Detail:

Public 9-12

637 Highland Avenue
South Portland, ME 04106

(207) 767-3266

District: South Portland Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
107^th of 123 Maine High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,728

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 1,019

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.3%

African American:

20.5%

Hispanic:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 26.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details South Portland High School ranks worse than 87% of high schools in Maine. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.57. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South 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 (63.3%), African American (20.5%), Hispanic (7.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 26.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Portland High School is 13.4. (See more...)

Compare South Portland High School employs 75.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Portland High School is $16,728.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks South Portland High School 107^th of 123 Maine public high schools. (See South Portland High School in the ranking list.)

South Portland Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks South Portland Public Schools 83^rd of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for South Portland High School

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Rank History for all students at South Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile
2010	73.89	19^th	103	81.6%
2011	73.40	23^rd	105	78.1%
2012	73.93	20^th	107	81.3%
2013	72.72	18^th	106	83.0%
2015	26.73	51^st	98	48.0%
2016	57.68	35^th	111	68.5%
2017	53.62	42^nd	111	62.2%
2018	54.44	39^th	114	65.8%
2019	77.60	21^st	114	81.6%
2021	57.76	57^th	82	30.5%
2022	16.37	92^nd	98	6.1%
2023	19.57	107^th	123	13.0%

See the entire list of Maine High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	35.34	11^th	20	45.0%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	44.80	45^th	76	40.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at South Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	78.18	17^th	92	81.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at South Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	66.34	25^th	92	72.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	54.54	1^st	1	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Maine High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at South Portland High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	63.64	7^th	21	66.7%

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.

Data source: Maine Department of Education

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Enrollment information for South Portland High School

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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	952	952
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	921	921
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	923	923
1994	958	6	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	976
1995	935	9	9	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	956
1996	935	9	9	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	956
1997	944	7	20	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	975
1998	1000	4	14	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	1022
1999	999	7	20	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	1036
2000	1070	7	28	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	1114
2001	1044	9	22	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	1085
2002	1012	21	30	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	1069
2003	1012	21	30	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	1069
2004	1011	22	26	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	1070
2005	984	23	26	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	1047
2006	931	22	32	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	998
2007	929	22	39	11	3	n/a	n/a	0	1004
2008	864	26	41	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	947
2009	832	31	36	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	913
2010	807	45	34	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	907
2011	763	34	30	36	2	0	26	0	891
2012	741	29	30	40	2	1	28	0	871
2013	732	38	27	42	2	0	32	0	873
2014	712	42	22	41	2	1	30	0	850
2015	739	45	23	44	2	3	40	0	896
2016	726	52	36	54	0	1	42	0	911
2017	700	55	36	49	1	0	46	0	887
2018	714	60	37	46	1	0	38	0	896
2019	681	83	47	46	0	1	47	0	905
2020	674	93	44	53	4	0	40	0	908
2021	649	114	43	54	2	0	46	0	908
2022	645	138	40	67	2	0	45	0	937
2023	645	209	39	80	2	0	44	0	1019

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 South Portland High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	952	63.7	14.9	n/a
1992	921	65.0	14.1	n/a
1993	923	66.1	14.0	0
1994	976	65.7	14.9	n/a
1995	956	62.0	15.4	n/a
1996	956	62.0	15.4	n/a
1997	975	62.3	15.7	n/a
1998	1022	68.6	14.9	3.1
1999	1036	69.9	14.8	11.4
2000	1114	73.3	15.2	9.2
2001	1085	75.4	14.4	6.6
2002	1069	76.5	14.0	10.7
2003	1069	76.5	14.0	10.7
2004	1070	79.3	13.5	10.4
2005	1047	84.1	12.4	12
2006	998	88.1	11.3	19.6
2007	1004	87.2	11.5	27.5
2008	947	113.3	8.4	26
2009	913	79.2	11.1	28.6
2010	907	79.7	11.3	33.8
2011	891	75.9	11.7	32.1
2012	871	72.6	11.9	3.9
2013	873	71.5	12.2	33.2
2014	850	70.2	12.0	35.5
2015	896	70.0	12.8	36.6
2016	911	68.0	13.3	40.2
2017	887	68.3	12.9	39.5
2018	896	68.5	13.0	36.7
2019	905	70.8	12.7	39.8
2020	908	70.5	12.8	36.1
2021	908	74.4	12.2	33.7
2022	937	72.7	12.8	31.5
2023	1019	75.6	13.4	26.6

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 South Portland High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	952	63.7	14.9	n/a
1992	921	65.0	14.1	n/a
1993	923	66.1	14.0	0
1994	976	65.7	14.9	n/a
1995	956	62.0	15.4	n/a
1996	956	62.0	15.4	n/a
1997	975	62.3	15.7	n/a
1998	1022	68.6	14.9	3.1
1999	1036	69.9	14.8	11.4
2000	1114	73.3	15.2	9.2
2001	1085	75.4	14.4	6.6
2002	1069	76.5	14.0	10.7
2003	1069	76.5	14.0	10.7
2004	1070	79.3	13.5	10.4
2005	1047	84.1	12.4	12
2006	998	88.1	11.3	19.6
2007	1004	87.2	11.5	27.5
2008	947	113.3	8.4	26
2009	913	79.2	11.1	28.6
2010	907	79.7	11.3	33.8
2011	891	75.9	11.7	32.1
2012	871	72.6	11.9	3.9
2013	873	71.5	12.2	33.2
2014	850	70.2	12.0	35.5
2015	896	70.0	12.8	36.6
2016	911	68.0	13.3	40.2
2017	887	68.3	12.9	39.5
2018	896	68.5	13.0	36.7
2019	905	70.8	12.7	39.8
2020	908	70.5	12.8	36.1
2021	908	74.4	12.2	33.7
2022	937	72.7	12.8	31.5
2023	1019	75.6	13.4	26.6

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 South Portland High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$16,339
2019	$16,380
2020	$17,037
2021	$18,828
2022	$15,785
2023	$16,728

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South 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 21^st of 114 High schools	Ranks 107^th of 123 High schools	68.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	905	1019	12.6%
African American	83	209	151.8%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	47	39	17%
Hispanic	46	80	73.9%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	681	645	5.3%
Two or More Races	47	44	6.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.8%	26.6%	13.2%

Schools Near South Portland High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MEA English Language Arts (2023)	MEA Mathematics (2023)	MEA Science (2023)	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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MEA English Language Arts All Grades	MEA Mathematics All Grades	MEA Science All Grades	Total
South Portland High School	Public	9-12	637 Highland Avenue	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	South Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 767-3266	1,019	76	13.4	26.6%	645 (63.3%)	209 (20.5%)	80 (7.9%)	39 (3.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (4.3%)	19.6	107^th of 123 public high schools	13.0%		16.4	92^nd of 98 public high schools	6.1%	15	57.9	29.9	24.4	$16,728
Arthur R. Gould School--LCYDC	Public	7-12	675 Westbrook Street	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	Arthur R. Gould School--LCYDC	No	No	No	No	(207) 822-2660	9	0	1.5	66.7%	6 (66.7%)	2 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Portland High School	Public	9-12	284 Cumberland AV	Portland	04101	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 874-8250	952	69	13.8	32.9%	505 (53.0%)	206 (21.6%)	133 (14.0%)	39 (4.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (6.9%)	36.1	73^rd of 123 public high schools	40.7%		26.4	84^th of 98 public high schools	14.3%	11	56.2	46.7	33.6	$17,468
Baxter Academy for Technical & Sciences	Public, Charter	9-12	185 Lancaster Street	Portland	04101	Cumberland County	Baxter Academy for Technology and Science	Yes	No	No	No	(207) 699-5500	355	26	13.8	16.9%	314 (88.5%)	13 (3.7%)	10 (2.8%)	10 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)	98	1^st of 123 public high schools	99.2%		87.8	5^th of 98 public high schools	94.9%	4			65.6	$14,487
Maine Connections Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	7-12	8 Science Park Road	Scarborough	04074	Cumberland County	Maine Connections Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(207) 805-3254	466	23	20.5	40.8%	417 (89.5%)	11 (2.4%)	9 (1.9%)	5 (1.1%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	63.7	25^th of 123 public high schools	79.7%		82.3	11^th of 98 public high schools	88.8%	14	78.0	33.3	57.5	$11,444
Cape Elizabeth High School	Public	9-12	345 Ocean House Road	Cape Elizabeth	04107	Cumberland County	Cape Elizabeth Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 799-3309	518	43	12.1	5.2%	463 (89.4%)	8 (1.5%)	20 (3.9%)	16 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (1.9%)	94.8	3^rd of 123 public high schools	97.6%		81.9	13^th of 98 public high schools	86.7%	10	87.5	68.0	63.0	$23,165
Deering High School	Public	9-12	370 Stevens Avenue	Portland	04103	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 874-8260	750	61	12.3	54.1%	318 (42.4%)	260 (34.7%)	80 (10.7%)	46 (6.1%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.6%)	9.5	118^th of 123 public high schools	4.1%		0	98^th of 98 public high schools	0.0%	20	48.4	31.6	17.1	$21,088
Scarborough High School	Public	9-12	11 Municipal Drive	Scarborough	04074	Cumberland County	Scarborough Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 730-5000	907	80	11.3	8.2%	790 (87.1%)	49 (5.4%)	13 (1.4%)	50 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	93.9	4^th of 123 public high schools	96.7%		67.6	29^th of 98 public high schools	70.4%	25	83.3	67.4	64.0	$20,630
Casco Bay High School	Public	9-12	196 Allen Avenue	Portland	04103	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 874-8160	382	30	12.8	34.0%	204 (53.4%)	105 (27.5%)	30 (7.9%)	24 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	48.7	43^rd of 123 public high schools	65.0%		63.8	35^th of 98 public high schools	64.3%	8	69.2	46.3	31.1	$16,387
Westbrook High School	Public	9-12	125 Stroudwater Street	Westbrook	04092	Cumberland County	Westbrook Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 854-0810	711	55	12.9	59.2%	468 (65.8%)	133 (18.7%)	35 (4.9%)	42 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	32 (4.5%)	21.3	101^st of 123 public high schools	17.9%		25.4	86^th of 98 public high schools	12.2%	15	55.0	38.9	23.6	$16,063

Frequently Asked Questions about South Portland High School

How many students attend South Portland High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,019 students attended South Portland High School.

What is the racial makeup of South Portland High School?

Students at South Portland High School are 63% White, 21% African American, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Is South Portland High School a good school?

South Portland High School ranks in the bottom 13.0% of Maine high schools.

What schools feed into South Portland High School?

South Portland High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dora L Small Elementary School
Elementary : Dyer Elementary School
Elementary : Frank I Brown Elementary School
Elementary : James Otis Kaler Elementary School
Elementary : Waldo T Skillin Elementary School

What district is South Portland High School in?

South Portland Public Schools

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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.