Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Portland High School

Q: Is Portland High School a good school?

Portland High School ranks in the bottom 24.4% of Maine high schools.

Q: How many students attend Portland High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 912 students attended Portland High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Portland High School?

Students at Portland High School are 46% White, 31% African American, 12% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Portland High School?

Portland High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Amanda C Rowe School Elementary : Cliff Island School Elementary : East End Community School Elementary : Gerald E Talbot Community School Elementary : Harrison Lyseth Elementary School Elementary : Howard C Reiche Community School Elementary : Longfellow School-Portland Elementary : Ocean Avenue Elementary : Peaks Island School Elementary : Presumpscot School Middle : King Middle School Middle : Lincoln Middle School Middle : Lyman Moore Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

90^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 119 Maine High Schools

Better than 24% of Maine high schools

Summary

Portland High School is a public high school located in Portland, Maine, serving 968 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Portland Public Schools district, which is ranked 102 out of 176 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past 10 years, Portland High School's statewide ranking has fluctuated significantly, ranging from as high as 33rd out of 114 Maine high schools in 2018-2019 to as low as 118th out of 123 in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The school's performance varies greatly across different student subgroups, with White and English Language Learner students performing relatively well, while African American, Hispanic, and Low Socioeconomic Status students struggle. Portland High School's four-year graduation rates have been declining, from 87.3% in 2022-2023 to 75.6% in 2023-2024, which is significantly lower than the state average. Additionally, the school has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 25.5% to 35.1% over the past two years.

When compared to other high schools in the Portland area, such as Casco Bay High School and Deering High School, Portland High School generally underperforms. Neighboring school districts, such as Falmouth Public Schools and Scarborough Public Schools, also significantly outperform Portland Public Schools across various measures. Additionally, the public charter high school Baxter Academy for Technical & Sciences, located in Portland, outperforms Portland High School in academic proficiency and statewide rankings.

912

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,863

Per pupil spending ?

53.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

284 Cumberland AV
Portland, ME 04101

(207) 874-8250

District: Portland Public Schools

Feeder schools for Portland High School:

Elementary:	Amanda C Rowe School
	Cliff Island School
	East End Community School
	Gerald E Talbot Community School
	More...
	Harrison Lyseth Elementary School
	Howard C Reiche Community School
	Longfellow School-Portland
	Ocean Avenue
	Peaks Island School
	Presumpscot School
Middle:	King Middle School
	Lincoln Middle School
	Lyman Moore Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.1%

African American:

30.8%

Hispanic:

12.4%

See top rated Maine high schools

Compare Portland High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 13th percentile in 2015 → 24th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 24th (2025) from a 13th-percentile low (2015)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maine average (39% vs 53% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Maine average (80% vs 89%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg51%

Maine avg53%

90^th of 119

Maine public high schools ?

Bottom 24%▲ up 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maine High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3High Schools in the Portland Public Schools

102^nd of 176Portland Public Schools among Maine 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	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	25.9	90 of 119	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	95 of 121	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.1	73 of 123	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.4	84 of 98	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.6	33 of 114	71.1%	★★★★☆
2018	53.7	41 of 114	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	44.0	56 of 111	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.5	40 of 111	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	7.4	85 of 98	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	42.2	58 of 106	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	37.5	65 of 107	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	32.9	76 of 105	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	27.6	80 of 103	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	26.2	6 of 9	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	2 of 3	33.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	33.1	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	23.8	87 of 107	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	52.4	33 of 92	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	14.4	4 of 4	0.0%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	35.9	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	10.3	105 of 108	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.2	75 of 76	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	26.4	72 of 108	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.0	33 of 92	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	73.0	8 of 57	86.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	55.9	18 of 57	68.4%	★★★★☆
2019	88.9	4 of 21	81.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2025)86th percentile+62 vs school

White (2025)68th percentile+44 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)50th percentile+26 vs school

Male (2025)33rd percentile+9 vs school

African American (2025)33rd percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)19th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)3rd percentile-22 vs school

Homeless (2025)<1st percentile-24 vs school

Hispanic (2025)<1st percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Maine (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics46%-3 vs state

English Language Arts42%-22 vs state

Science31%-6 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Portland High School and help other families decide.

Rate Portland High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Portland High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MEA English Language Arts (2025)	MEA Mathematics (2025)	MEA Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MEA English Language Arts All Grades	MEA Mathematics All Grades	MEA Science All Grades	Total
Portland High School	Public	9-12	284 Cumberland AV	Portland	04101	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 874-8250	912	63	14.4	53.1%	420 (46.1%)	281 (30.8%)	113 (12.4%)	36 (3.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (6.5%)	25.9	90^th of 119 public high schools	24.4%		22.4	95^th of 121 public high schools	21.5%	5	41.7	46.4	30.7	$21,863
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	384	27	14.1	20.1%	335 (87.2%)	16 (4.2%)	6 (1.6%)	9 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.7%)	79.9	14^th of 119 public high schools	88.2%		80.3	10^th of 121 public high schools	91.7%	4	67.9	64.0	62.1	$13,103
Deering High School	Public	9-12	370 Stevens Avenue	Portland	04103	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 874-8260	850	68	12.4	65.8%	339 (39.9%)	306 (36.0%)	108 (12.7%)	43 (5.1%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.6%)	24.6	91^st of 119 public high schools	23.5%		6.9	118^th of 121 public high schools	2.5%	27	48.0	40.4	33.3	$24,782
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	928	81	11.5	42.8%	593 (63.9%)	176 (19.0%)	76 (8.2%)	28 (3.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (5.6%)	57.6	25^th of 119 public high schools	79.0%		48.2	48^th of 121 public high schools	60.3%	23	68.9	55.6	33.9	$23,416
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	16	11	1.4	68.8%	13 (81.3%)	1 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)								(n/a)
Casco Bay High School	Public	9-12	196 Allen Avenue	Portland	04103	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 874-8160	379	29	13.1	53.8%	195 (51.5%)	107 (28.2%)	31 (8.2%)	24 (6.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.7%)	40.9	56^th of 119 public high schools	52.9%		31.4	79^th of 121 public high schools	34.7%	23	58.6	54.7	27.7	$21,803
Maine Connections Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	7-12	600 Southborough Dr.	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	Maine Connections Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(207) 805-3254	504	27	18.6	51.6%	446 (88.5%)	15 (3.0%)	10 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.2%)	38.4	62^nd of 119 public high schools	47.9%		53.8	36^th of 121 public high schools	70.2%	26	64.2	28.8	40.2	$11,467
Westbrook High School	Public	9-12	125 Stroudwater Street	Westbrook	04092	Cumberland County	Westbrook Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 854-0810	719	60	12.0	63.1%	434 (60.4%)	167 (23.2%)	44 (6.1%)	36 (5.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.0%)	35.5	71^st of 119 public high schools	40.3%		18.2	103^rd of 121 public high schools	14.9%	32	54.8	50.3	31.0	$22,417
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	471	45	10.4	9.8%	419 (89.0%)	3 (0.6%)	22 (4.7%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.6%)	98.4	1^st of 119 public high schools	99.2%		94.4	2^nd of 121 public high schools	98.3%	1	90.6	91.5	63.6	$29,346
Falmouth High School	Public	9-12	74 Woodville Road	Falmouth	04105	Cumberland County	Falmouth Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 781-7429	669	67	9.9	7.2%	597 (89.2%)	12 (1.8%)	13 (1.9%)	40 (6.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	94.2	3^rd of 119 public high schools	97.5%		91.9	3^rd of 121 public high schools	97.5%		86.9	77.1	55.2	$29,067

Frequently Asked Questions about Portland High School

What is the racial makeup of Portland High School?

Students at Portland High School are 46% White, 31% African American, 12% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What schools feed into Portland High School?

Portland High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Amanda C Rowe School
Elementary : Cliff Island School
Elementary : East End Community School
Elementary : Gerald E Talbot Community School
Elementary : Harrison Lyseth Elementary School
Elementary : Howard C Reiche Community School
Elementary : Longfellow School-Portland
Elementary : Ocean Avenue
Elementary : Peaks Island School
Elementary : Presumpscot School
Middle : King Middle School
Middle : Lincoln Middle School
Middle : Lyman Moore Middle School

Is Portland High School a good school?

Portland High School ranks in the bottom 24.4% of Maine high schools.

What district is Portland High School in?

Portland Public Schools

How many students attend Portland High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 912 students attended Portland High School.

Rate Portland High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MEMaine High School Rankings

MEMaine District Rankings

Schools in Portland, ME

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Portland High School!

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.