| Portland Public Schools | |
| Budget: | $103,602,884 (2017–2018)[1] |
| Established: | 1733[2] |
| Grades: | K-12 |
| Superintendent: | Ryan Scallon |
| Schools: | 18 (2016–2017)[3] |
| Students: | 6,739 (2015–2016) |
| Teachers: | Approximately 700 (2016–2017)[4] |
| Staff: | Approximately 1,300 (2016–2017) |
| Location: | 353 Cumberland Avenue, Portland, ME 04101 |
| Website: | Portland Public Schools |
Portland Public Schools is the public school district in Portland, Maine, United States. The district operates eighteen primary and secondary schools. It is the largest and most ethnically diverse school district in Maine, with a student body made up of roughly 49% minorities. The district operates expeditionary learning schools, a vocational school, and elementary, middle, and three high schools (Casco Bay High School, Deering High School, and Portland High School).
The school district is the most diverse in the state. In 2021, about 49 percent of the district’s approximately 6,500 students identified as people of color, while about 11 percent of staff do. About one-third of the district’s students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken. More than 60 languages are spoken by the student body. In total, 52 percent of the district’s students are white and 48 percent are students of color. Approximately half of the district's students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. In 2021, the district received a $25,000 grant from the Barr Foundation to recruit a more diverse staff.[5]
Superintendent of Schools: Ryan Scallon [6]
The Portland Public Schools prepare food at a central kitchen. The school department provides hot lunches for about 2,200 elementary students per day. In 2011, the Portland Public Schools added a daily vegetarian cold lunch option to its school menus. In 2019, the district changed to a daily hot vegan school meal option. The food service director said the vegan options were added to serve the schools' diverse student body.[9]