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Portland High School

Q: Is Portland High School a good school?

Portland High School ranks 58 th of 135 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

58^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 135 Connecticut High Schools

Better than 57% of Connecticut high schools

Summary

Portland High School is a small public high school in Portland, Connecticut, serving 323 students in grades 9–12. Academically, the school sits in the middle of the pack compared with the rest of the state. In the most recent testing year, 57.7% of 11th graders scored proficient in ELA on the SAT and 56.3% were proficient in science on the NGSS — both above state averages — while 32.4% were proficient in math, essentially tying the state average. The graduation rate of 90.2% sits just below Connecticut's 91.2%. The Portland School District maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 10.5, and per-pupil spending of $17,514 is on the lower end compared with neighboring districts.

Compared with nearby high schools, Portland occupies a distinct middle tier. It clearly outperforms Middletown High School, Francis T. Maloney High School, and Vinal Technical High School on test scores. However, it trails several of its suburban neighbors, including Cromwell High School (76.8% ELA, 47.8% math), Berlin High School (71.8% ELA, 43.1% math), East Hampton High School, and Rocky Hill High School. Portland also has more students from economically disadvantaged families (31.6% free/reduced-price lunch) than most nearby districts, with only those three schools showing higher levels of need.

The school's biggest challenges are attendance and math. Chronic absenteeism, while improved from a spike of 28.8% in 2023–2024, remains at 15.7% — above the Portland School District's own rate of 11.1% and higher than most neighboring districts. The four-year graduation rate has climbed from 85.4% two years ago to 90.2%, but still trails most nearby schools like Cromwell High School (97.0%) and Berlin High School (97.5%). Math is the clearest academic weakness, barely matching the state average and lagging far behind peers such as Rocky Hill High School (62.8%). Despite these challenges, Portland delivers solid results for its spending level, and recent improvement in both attendance and graduation suggests positive momentum. If the school can continue closing the attendance-to-graduation gap and strengthen math outcomes, it could return to the higher rankings it held just a few years ago.

323

Students ?

10.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,910

Per pupil spending ?

31.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

95 High Street
Portland, CT 06480

(860) 342-1720

District: Portland School District

Feeder schools for Portland High School:

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.4%

Hispanic:

14.9%

African American:

6.8%

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Compare Portland High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 60th percentile in 2013 → 57th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Connecticut median (57th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg48%

Connecticut avg46%

58^th of 135

Connecticut public high schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Connecticut High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

68^th of 153Portland School District among Connecticut districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	58 of 135	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.9	53 of 141	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.5	58 of 145	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.3	37 of 142	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	84.9	34 of 200	83.0%	★★★★☆
2019	67.0	52 of 121	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	79.2	35 of 140	75.0%	★★★★☆
2016	78.7	36 of 132	72.7%	★★★★☆
2015	75.9	43 of 196	78.1%	★★★★☆
2013	69.8	78 of 193	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	71.7	70 of 188	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.8	83 of 189	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	73.6	51 of 186	72.6%	★★★★☆
2009	69.5	61 of 176	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.4	104 of 176	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	67.3	77 of 176	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	78.4	41 of 189	78.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	63.7	53 of 155	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	88.4	21 of 182	88.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	58.8	75 of 175	57.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Connecticut percentile	Rating
2021	78.2	28 of 155	81.9%	★★★★☆
2019	44.6	76 of 113	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	73.2	30 of 105	71.4%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2021)88th percentile+5 vs school

White (2021)82nd percentile~ school

Female (2021)78th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)66th percentile-17 vs school

Special Education (2021)57th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Connecticut (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts58%~ state avg

Science56%+6 vs state

Math32%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Portland High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

School	Students/Teachers	Ranking (2026)	Ranking (2025)	NGSS Science (2026)	SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Math (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Portland High School	Public	9-12	95 High Street	Portland	06480	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Portland School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 342-1720	323	31	10.5	31.6%	234 (72.4%)	22 (6.8%)	48 (14.9%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	58.2	58^th of 135 public high schools	57.0%	62.9	53^rd of 141 public high schools	62.4%	5	56.3	57.7	32.4	$24,910
Whiting Forensic Hospital	Public	9-12	70 O'Brien Drive	Middletown	06547	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(860) 262-7175	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()							(n/a)
Middletown High School	Public	9-12	200 LaRosa Lane	Middletown	06457	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Middletown School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 704-4500	1,193	101	11.7	51.2%	453 (38.0%)	276 (23.1%)	279 (23.4%)	64 (5.4%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.5%)	110 (9.2%)	25.3	91^st of 135 public high schools	32.6%	23.1	101^st of 141 public high schools	28.4%	10	31.8	39.5	18.8	$26,430
Cromwell High School	Public	9-12	1 Donald Harris Dr.	Cromwell	06416	Capitol Planning Region	Cromwell School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 632-4841	515	47	11.0	29.9%	348 (67.6%)	49 (9.5%)	64 (12.4%)	32 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	17 (3.3%)	82.9	27^th of 135 public high schools	80.0%	62.3	54^th of 141 public high schools	61.7%	27	68.3	76.8	47.8	$23,914
Vinal Technical High School	Public	9-12	60 Daniels St.	Middletown	06457	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	No	(860) 344-7100	522	49	10.6	35.8%	333 (63.8%)	34 (6.5%)	104 (19.9%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.2%)	17.8	106^th of 135 public high schools	21.5%	12.9	123^rd of 141 public high schools	12.8%	17	29.2		8.4	$33,758
East Hampton High School	Public	9-12	15 North Maple St.	East Hampton	06424	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Hampton School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 365-4030	488	43	11.2	21.7%	425 (87.1%)	8 (1.6%)	33 (6.8%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.7%)							(n/a)	78.4			$23,232
Rocky Hill High School	Public	9-12	50 Chapin Ave.	Rocky Hill	06067	Capitol Planning Region	Rocky Hill School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 258-7721	738	65	11.3	24.5%	396 (53.7%)	35 (4.7%)	92 (12.5%)	181 (24.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (4.5%)	87.7	16^th of 135 public high schools	88.1%	81.6	27^th of 141 public high schools	80.9%	11	74.6	74.4	62.8	$23,553
Berlin High School	Public	9-12	139 Patterson Way	Berlin	06037	Capitol Planning Region	Berlin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 828-6577	836	73	11.5	22.6%	649 (77.6%)	19 (2.3%)	107 (12.8%)	42 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.3%)	79.9	31^st of 135 public high schools	77.0%	72.9	42^nd of 141 public high schools	70.2%	11	71.9	71.8	43.1	$23,302
Coginchaug Regional High School	Public	9-12	135 Pickett Ln.	Durham	06422	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7215	356	40	8.8	15.7%	298 (83.7%)	4 (1.1%)	37 (10.4%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	84.8	23^rd of 135 public high schools	83.0%				(n/a)	74.2	77.5		$33,510
Glastonbury High School	Public	9-12	330 Hubbard St.	Glastonbury	06033	Capitol Planning Region	Glastonbury School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 652-7200	1,737	133	13.0	15.8%	1,109 (63.8%)	58 (3.3%)	224 (12.9%)	238 (13.7%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	102 (5.9%)							(n/a)	83.5			$25,588

Frequently Asked Questions about Portland High School

What district is Portland High School in?

Portland School District

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

What is the racial makeup of Portland High School?

Students at Portland High School are 72% White, 15% Hispanic, 7% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Portland High School a good school?

Portland High School ranks 58^th of 135 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Portland High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 323 students attended Portland High School.

Rate Portland High School!

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CTConnecticut High School Rankings

CTConnecticut District Rankings

Schools in Portland, CT

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Latest Connecticut data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 attendance data & graduation ratesAug 31, 2026

2025–26 NGSS, SAT & SBAC test scoresAug 31, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataApr 2, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataNov 6, 2025

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.

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				NGSS Science (2026)	SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Math (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Portland School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 342-1720	323	31	10.5	31.6%	234 (72.4%)	22 (6.8%)	48 (14.9%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	58.2	58^th of 135 public high schools	57.0%		62.9	53^rd of 141 public high schools	62.4%	5	56.3	57.7	32.4	$24,910
Whiting Forensic Hospital	Public	9-12	70 O'Brien Drive	Middletown	06547	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(860) 262-7175	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Middletown High School	Public	9-12	200 LaRosa Lane	Middletown	06457	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Middletown School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 704-4500	1,193	101	11.7	51.2%	453 (38.0%)	276 (23.1%)	279 (23.4%)	64 (5.4%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.5%)	110 (9.2%)	25.3	91^st of 135 public high schools	32.6%		23.1	101^st of 141 public high schools	28.4%	10	31.8	39.5	18.8	$26,430
Cromwell High School	Public	9-12	1 Donald Harris Dr.	Cromwell	06416	Capitol Planning Region	Cromwell School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 632-4841	515	47	11.0	29.9%	348 (67.6%)	49 (9.5%)	64 (12.4%)	32 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	17 (3.3%)	82.9	27^th of 135 public high schools	80.0%		62.3	54^th of 141 public high schools	61.7%	27	68.3	76.8	47.8	$23,914
Vinal Technical High School	Public	9-12	60 Daniels St.	Middletown	06457	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	No	(860) 344-7100	522	49	10.6	35.8%	333 (63.8%)	34 (6.5%)	104 (19.9%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.2%)	17.8	106^th of 135 public high schools	21.5%		12.9	123^rd of 141 public high schools	12.8%	17	29.2		8.4	$33,758
East Hampton High School	Public	9-12	15 North Maple St.	East Hampton	06424	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	East Hampton School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 365-4030	488	43	11.2	21.7%	425 (87.1%)	8 (1.6%)	33 (6.8%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.7%)								(n/a)	78.4			$23,232
Rocky Hill High School	Public	9-12	50 Chapin Ave.	Rocky Hill	06067	Capitol Planning Region	Rocky Hill School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 258-7721	738	65	11.3	24.5%	396 (53.7%)	35 (4.7%)	92 (12.5%)	181 (24.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (4.5%)	87.7	16^th of 135 public high schools	88.1%		81.6	27^th of 141 public high schools	80.9%	11	74.6	74.4	62.8	$23,553
Berlin High School	Public	9-12	139 Patterson Way	Berlin	06037	Capitol Planning Region	Berlin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 828-6577	836	73	11.5	22.6%	649 (77.6%)	19 (2.3%)	107 (12.8%)	42 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.3%)	79.9	31^st of 135 public high schools	77.0%		72.9	42^nd of 141 public high schools	70.2%	11	71.9	71.8	43.1	$23,302
Coginchaug Regional High School	Public	9-12	135 Pickett Ln.	Durham	06422	Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region	Regional School District 13	No	No	No	Yes	(860) 349-7215	356	40	8.8	15.7%	298 (83.7%)	4 (1.1%)	37 (10.4%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	84.8	23^rd of 135 public high schools	83.0%					(n/a)	74.2	77.5		$33,510
Glastonbury High School	Public	9-12	330 Hubbard St.	Glastonbury	06033	Capitol Planning Region	Glastonbury School District	No	No	No	No	(860) 652-7200	1,737	133	13.0	15.8%	1,109 (63.8%)	58 (3.3%)	224 (12.9%)	238 (13.7%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	102 (5.9%)								(n/a)	83.5			$25,588