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Four Portland Public Schools students have been named as Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program: Portland High School seniors Beatrice DeVito, Charlotte Knake and Kate Morrison, and Casco Bay High School senior Sebastian Milstein-Jones. The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

The district is continuing to work with the Portland Public Schools community to design a middle school experience where each and every student feels a strong sense of belonging, is challenged and supported academically, and has meaningful learning experiences that prepare them for high school and beyond. Learn about the latest proposed plans and ideas at a Middle School Design Community Engagement session set for Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Lyman Moore Middle School. Childcare will be available.

As the Portland Public Schools enters into the 2026-27 school year, we have made a number of very exciting hires and moves to fill key leadership roles at the district and school levels. We are excited about the experience and energy that these team members will bring to our schools and students. For a detailed list of who’s who at the central and school leadership levels, including what their roles are, please visit the Central Office Staff and School Administration Directory on our website. Here are a few highlights of the leadership changes made over the summer:

The Portland Public Schools is operating summer meal sites at 12 locations across the city of Portland this summer. All children and teens 18 years and younger can receive a nutritious meal free of charge to be enjoyed on site. The sites open July 6, 2026.

Twenty Portland Public Schools employees are retiring this year. The retirees were honored by the Portland Board of Public Education and the district in a ceremony on June 9, 2026. Those recognized have served throughout the district and held a wide variety of roles in service of students and families. The school year retirees include a school principal, a social worker, teachers, Food Service members, educational technicians, a secretary and a custodian, among others.

Casco Bay High School held its 18th graduation exercises on June 4, at Merrill Auditorium. While Casco’s graduates march to the stage to the traditional sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance,” what typically follows at Casco commencements is more unconventional. This year’s ceremony for the Class of 2026 was no exception, with good-natured jokes interspersing heartfelt personal testimonies and graduates jumping up from their seats to dance in the middle of the event.

Nludi Celestino, a senior at Casco Bay High School, was chosen May 6 as Boys & Girls Clubs of America 2026 Maine State Youth of the Year! He entered the state competition after being selected as Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine’s Youth of the Year from a pool of candidates across the Southern Maine clubs in April.  He’ll compete in the Youth of the Year regional competition in June.

The artworks of Casco Bay High School student Penelope Schofield and Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) student Anna Maria Loboda are among more than 40 pieces selected by a jury of professional artists to be displayed at the Capitol Complex in the Maine Excellence in Arts Education Exhibition. The exhibition, which opened March 18 and runs until May 28, 2026, is on display in the Cross Office Building in Augusta.

The Board of Public Education's Finance Committee on March 23 held a public hearing on the proposed school budget for the 2026-2027 school year (FY27). The Committee also voted to make adjustments to the FY27 budget that would lower its impact on the school portion of the tax rate from 7.3 percent to 6.43 percent and approved sending its recommended budget to the full Board. The Board is slated to hold a first reading and public hearing on the Finance Committee's recommended budget on March 31. Watch the Finance Committee's meeting on YouTube: https://youtu.be/T6h8qBUwn4s

On March 10, Superintendent Ryan Scallon presented the proposed budget for the 2026-2027 school year. He started his presentation of the fiscal year 2027 (FY27) budget with a report of the improved outcomes for students the district has seen over the past two years of implementation of its five-year Strategic Plan—particularly for economically disadvantaged students, multilingual students learning English, and students with IEPs in reading and in math. The proposed budget aims to build on that progress while confronting fiscal challenges.

Casco Bay High School freshman Albertina Dos Santos is the grand prize winner of The Telling Room's 19th Annual Statewide Writing Contest. Dos Santos’ winning poem, "To Love a Country," was recently selected as the winner by a panel of judges that included local authors, illustrators, editors, Telling Room alumni, and current Telling Room students. Dos Santos will be published in The Telling Room’s upcoming annual anthology of youth writing and will receive a cash prize of $250.

Nate Witherbee, music teacher at Portland Arts and Technology High School, and Abby Hutchins, music teacher at Deering and Casco Bay high schools, have been nominated for the Manilow Music Teacher Award, which honors educators who have a passion and dedication to teaching music to students. The two are among 10 Maine music educators vying to be the top vote-getters in an online contest to receive a $10,000 prize—$5,000 in a cash award and $5,000 for instruments for students.

School meals continue to be free of charge but for students that purchase extras such as drinks and chips, families should be aware that the Portland Public Schools Food Service is transitioning to a new payment software in the spring of 2026 — and the current payment software, PayPAMS, will no longer be taking online payments for students’ meal accounts after December 31, 2025. The system will still be available for students to be able to deposit cash or checks at their schools.

Casco Bay High School seniors didn’t let frigid temperatures and a biting wind prevent them from participating in the school’s 13th annual “College March” on the afternoon of Dec. 12. The students paraded briskly down Congress Street to the downtown post office, where they mailed college applications or letters to a significant adult in their life who has supported their educational journey. The CBHS annual "March to the Post Office" celebrates every senior completing at least one college application. 

On Dec. 3, Portland Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Scallon sent a letter to the PPS community disagreeing with recent hateful rhetoric regarding immigrants and specifically the Somali community. The superintendent reiterated the district's support for all students, staff and community members. Read the letter: