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The Portland Public Schools’ Multilingual and Multicultural Center will host Beyond Borders: A Conference on Migration and Integration on Sept. 27 at the University of Southern Maine.

The Portland Public Schools is participating in Special Provision II and Community Eligible Provision for the 2023-2024 school year. This alternative is referred to as Provision II and CEP.  All students enrolled in all of Portland’s public schools except the Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) may participate in the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program at no charge. Household applications are not required to receive free meals this school year but forms similar to applications may be distributed by the school and the district to collect household income data for other programs that require this information, such as Federal Title programs.

On Sept. 12, students from Casco Bay High School and East End Community School and supporters celebrated the completion of the new SolaRISE Lean-To on the East End campus. The solar lean-to, which will not only help EECS save on electricity costs but will serve to help educate students about solar energy, is a project spearheaded by SolaRISE Portland, a collaboration of students, teachers, and residents advocating for solar energy to power Portland’s schools.

Portland Public Schools Custodial Supervisor Steve Reed has written a poem to send a welcome back message from custodians for the 2023-2024 school year. “I thought that it might give teachers and other staff some insight into how we feel about them and our students,” Reed said.

All City Management Services is looking for “local superheroes” to become crossing guards serving Portland Public Schools students.

First, Joshua Chard, a veteran teacher at East End Community School, became the 2023 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year in May. Next, in July, Chard was named one of eight semifinalists for the 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year honor. Now Chard has been selected as one of four finalists for 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year!

Julia Hazel, the district’s director of BIPOC career pathways and leadership development, is a recipient of the 2023 Maine Black Excellence Awards, presented by The Third Place on Aug. 13. Hazel received the Compass Career Award, which recognizes individuals who accomplish a standout achievement in their workplace or sector. 

The first day of school for students in grades 1-12 is Wednesday, Sept. 6. That day will be a full day of school, not an early release day. Thursday, Sept. 7, is the start date for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.

At its Aug. 1 meeting, the Board of Public Education approved the appointments of Halima Noor as assistant principal of Deering High School and Scott Walker as assistant principal at Portland High School. The Board was also introduced to two newly hired Central Office administrators: Dr. Angela Atkinson Duina, executive director of elementary schools and Matthew Powers, director of data and analytics.

Joshua Chard, a veteran teacher at East End Community School and the 2023 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year is among eight County Teachers of the Year named as semifinalists for the 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year honor.

The Portland Public Schools accepts funding through the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) of 1965. As part of ESEA, the district is required to provide reasonable opportunity for public comment on the consolidated application and consider such comment prior to the submission of the application. Portland is accepting public comment on the ESEA application through July 25, 2023. Click here for a description of proposed programming. Click here to share your thoughts about the application’s goals and priorities.

At its June 20 meeting, the Board of Public Education approved an adjustment to the 2023-2024 school year calendar that makes Tuesday, Sept. 5, a day for staff training and moves the first day of school for students in grades 1-12 to Wednesday, Sept. 6. That day will be a full day of school, not an early release day.

The Board of Public Education has unanimously approved a resolution that directs the superintendent to establish a program for all non-ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) educators to acquire some form of an ESOL credential to better serve the district’s growing number of multilingual students. The vote took place at the Board’s June 20 meeting.

The program would be phased in, with substantial progress expected over the next four years, the resolution states. It also says that the Board pledges to provide “the resources and support necessary to ensure all educators in PPS have or acquire some form of an ESOL credential, certification, or micro-credential.” Details on how the program will function in practice remain to be worked out collaboratively with educators.

The Portland Public Schools will be operating various summer meal sites across the city of Portland this summer. Meals and times will be posted at sites and maps have been distributed to students at school.  School Sites will begin operation on June 26, 2023 or July 5, 2023 and continue through August 4, 2023, and some through August 11, 2023, Monday- Friday. Community sites will operate from June 26, 2023 to August 18, 2023, Monday –Friday.

As an inclusive, welcoming school district, the Portland Public Schools will participate in the Pride Portland! Parade on Saturday, June 17.

“As has become our tradition, the Portland Public Schools will join in the parade to celebrate our LGBTQ+ staff, students, families and other partners and all their contributions to our schools and community,” said Interim Co-Superintendents Melea Nalli and Aaron Townsend. “Unfortunately, there have been an unprecedented number of bills targeting LGTBQ+ rights throughout the U.S. this year. It is important that our district participates to reiterate our commitment to supporting our PPS LGBTQ+ community.  We will once again have a float entry in the parade – a yellow school bus! – and we invite staff, students, families and other supporters to join us in marching.”

Co-Superintendents Aaron Townsend and Melea Nalli and Board of Public Education Chair Sarah Lentz issued statements of gratitude in response to  city voters’ overwhelming approval June 13 of the Portland Public Schools’ $143.8 million budget for fiscal year 2024.

Juneteenth falls this year on Monday, June 19. That day will be a paid holiday for all regular district employees. Portland’s public schools and district offices will be closed on Monday, June 19, in observance of the holiday.

Juneteenth National Independence Day is the nation's newest federal holiday. It was signed into law on June 17, 2021, by President Joe Biden. Maine also designates June 19 each year as an official state holiday.

The Portland Public Schools' network now has been restored as of late morning, Monday, June 12. Internet and phones should now be operating normally. The IT department will continue to monitor services.

More than 40 Portland Public Schools retiring employees were honored by the Portland Board of Public Education and the district in a ceremony on Tuesday, June 6. Those recognized have served throughout the district and held a wide variety of roles in service of our students and families. The 2022-2023 school year retirees include administrators, teachers, educational technicians, administrative assistants and secretaries, transportation employees, custodians, a guidance counselor, a speech therapist, a payroll manager, an academic enrichment specialist and the district’s facilities director. The retirees have collectively given nearly 1,000 years of dedicated service to the Portland Public Schools.

Since 2015, the Portland Public Schools has had a "float" in the Pride Portland events - a yellow PPS bus!  As a welcoming, inclusive school district, we proudly affirm and stand with our LGBTQ+ students, staff and families.

This year Pride events are on Saturday, June 17. The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. and the entire PPS community is welcome to participate! Students, staff, Board of Public Education members and families can all come march with PPS in the parade, and either walk in front of the bus or ride the bus! Wear your PPS gear if you have some – from any school – to represent PPS.

The Board of Public Education voted unanimously June 6 to appoint Dr. Ryan Scallon, currently an assistant superintendent in the School District of Philadelphia, as the next superintendent of the Portland Public Schools, beginning July 1. The Board selected Scallon, who holds a doctorate degree in education, following a six-month nationwide search.

Following a nationwide search, the Portland Board of Public Education has selected Dr. Ryan Scallon, currently an assistant superintendent in the School District of Philadelphia, to become the next superintendent of the Portland Public Schools. Scallon, who holds a doctorate degree in education, was one of two finalists for the position. The Board is scheduled to vote on Scallon’s appointment at its June 6 meeting. His official start date will be July 1.

East End Community School is planning a celebration for beloved crossing guard Danny Lowe on Thursday, June 1. Lowe, a young man with autism, has dedicated himself to helping students get safely across the intersection of North Street and Walnut Street since 2014. The school celebrated Lowe on June 1, 2022, and now the  second annual “Danny Day” celebration will take place on that same date this year, from 7 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.

The City Council voted unanimously on May 15 to approve the FY24 budget recommended by the Portland Board of Education. The vote now sends the budget for the 2023-2024 school year to Portland voters on June 13. The budget balances fiscal constraints with reinvesting in core operations such as finance and human resources, while also investing in student-facing staff to support all students, including many newly arrived multi-language learners. It also is mindful of the tax burden on Portland residents during a time of high inflation.

The selection of Joshua Chard, a teacher at East End Community School, as 2023 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year, puts the veteran teacher in the running to be 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year. This is the second year in a row that a Portland Public Schools teacher has been chosen as Cumberland County Teacher of the Year.