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The last day of school for students for the 2024-2025 school year will be Tuesday, June 17, and the last teacher day will be Wednesday, June 18. On the last student day, schools will dismiss students three hours before their usual release time.

The City of Portland will be holding a public meeting on May 22 regarding a proposed cleanup project of some contaminated soil that was unearthed at Fitzpatrick Stadium during renovations there. The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at the parking lot of the stadium, located at 165 Park Avenue.

The City Council voted unanimously on May 19 to approve the $171.8 million 2025-2026 school year budget recommended by the Portland Board of Public Education. The vote now sends the budget to City voters on June 10. The budget balances fiscal constraints with necessary investments to increase academic rigor, foster a joyful and supportive school culture and help provide more effective instruction to students with disabilities. It would raise the school portion of the property tax rate by 5.33 percent ($0.42 per $1,000 of assessed value). For the owner of a median-priced $500,000 home, the budget would increase property taxes by $210 per year or $17.50 per month.

The New England Environmental Finance Center (NEEFC) at the University of Southern Maine is working with the Portland Public Schools (PPS) on a comprehensive environmental audit and action plan to reduce waste and improve sustainability in 17 of the district’s elementary, middle and high schools. The audit, which began in January, has focused on the district’s school kitchens, cafeterias and Food Service program. Its recommendations so far have the potential to save about $4,000 per year in trash pickup costs at each school. They can also help save time, energy and the environment.

Portland High School senior Madeline Butters has won a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship, and now is officially a Merit Scholar. She is one of just eight Maine seniors to be awarded that scholarship and among 2,500 Merit Scholars chosen from a nationwide talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) invites the community to Spring for Teachers, a celebration of Portland teachers. Spring for Teachers will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 5 p.m. to7 p.m. at Bunker Brewing Co. The event will include the presentation of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Initial public engagement sessions regarding the work of the Attendance Boundaries Advisory Committee are set for early June. Here are the dates, times and locations of the meetings: 

• Monday, June 2, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m, in person at Ocean Avenue Elementary School
• Tuesday, June 3, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m, in person at King Middle School
• Wednesday, June 4, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m, VIRTUAL. Here's the link to join. 

Portland High School has a new head football coach: Nick Cliche, who has been the school’s assistant head football coach for the past two years and has extensive coaching experience prior to that.

Portland Community: You're invited to Lyman Moore Middle School's annual musical, which opens Friday, May 9, at 7 p.m. Come see our students showcase their talents in Beauty and the Beast, a classic tale about love, transformation, and finding beauty in unexpected places. There also are shows on Saturday, May 10, at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m. Tickets $5 at the door.

An inaccurate May 1 story by News Center Maine (WCSH6) about the meeting that night of the district's Attendance Boundaries Advisory Committee has generated confusion regarding Lincoln Middle School. At the district's request, WCSH6 has retracted the news report. Please view the following communication from the Portland Public Schools that addresses the inaccuracies and clarifies the role of the Advisory Committee:

The annual Portland Public Schools district-wide student art show at City Hall is kicking off with a celebratory reception on Friday, May 2, in conjunction with the May First Friday Art Walk.  The event will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until May 16, enabling the public to enjoy student artwork from all schools in the district on display.

Sips, Sweets, and Stories, the spring fundraiser put on by the Portland Public Schools’ Multilingual and Multicultural Center, was a great success. The April 16 event raised nearly $5,000 to benefit the district’s award-winning Make It Happen program, a college-readiness and academic success initiative that equips multilingual students with the skills, confidence, and tools they need to prosper in school and beyond.

A series of stakeholder engagement meetings will take place this month on a proposed policy that would ban students from having cell phones or other personal electronic devices on their person during regular school hours. The stakeholder engagement meetings are designed to get feedback from parents/guardians and staff on the policy before the Board of Public Education votes on it. Separate stakeholder meetings for high school students also are being scheduled by their individual schools.

Jackie Burris, a Foster Grandparent at East End Community School, and Fran Seeley, a Foster Grandparent at Talbot Community School, were recognized at the 2025 Governor's Awards for Service and Volunteerism ceremony last week. Burris won this year’s Outstanding National Service Volunteer award and Seeley also was honored for volunteering more than 500 hours over the past year.

The proposed $171.8 million FY26 school budget is headed to the City Council for a first read and public hearing on Monday, May 5, following approval by the Council's Finance Committee. This Council public hearing and another one on May 19 are opportunities for the PPS community to make their voices heard regarding this fair and responsible budget, which benefits students and supports educators.

The Southwestern Maine Activities Association (SMAA) held their annual Citizenship Banquet at the Italian Heritage Club early in April. Two Deering High School seniors, Mya Landry and Khalid Mahamed, were among students who received Citizenship Awards at the banquet.

The Casco Bay High School Mock Trial Team wishes to express their gratitude to four more generous members of Maine’s legal community for helping to sponsor the team’s trip to the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, May 7-11. “Thank you to the law firms of Perkins Thompson, Berman & Simmons and Mann Law, and also to the Maine Trial Lawyers Association,” said Jake McNally, Casco Bay math teacher and Mock Trial coach. 

The Southwestern Maine Activities Association (SMAA) held their annual Citizenship Banquet at the Italian Heritage Club early in April. Two Portland High School seniors, Anneliese Collin and Louis Thurston, were among students who received Citizenship Awards at the banquet.

Portland High School art educator Elise Pelletier has been named 2025 Art Educator of the Year by the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA). In March, Pelletier attended the national Art Education Association convention in Louisville, Kentucky, where she received her award. 

Each year, the University of Southern Maine’s Walter E. Russell Chair in Philosophy and Education honors a Deering High School educator who embodies the core values of the teaching profession – someone who ignites a passion for discovery in students, engages in the school’s ongoing life, and brings creativity and innovation to the classroom. This year’s honoree is special education teacher Margaret Hoyt.

This April 16 Spectrum News article about the Board of Public Education's April 8 vote to add the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr as holidays to the official school calendar, includes a reaction from a local rabbi who said she was “thrilled” to hear about the addition of the holidays.

At its April 8 meeting, the Board of Public Education unanimously approved a 2025-2026 district calendar that includes Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr as new district holidays. Starting in the fall, students and staff at the Portland Public Schools, Maine’s most diverse school district, can observe those major religious holidays with their families without having to miss school. 

The Portland Board of Public Education voted on April 8 to approve a $171.8 million school budget for the 2025-2026 school year to recommend to the City Council. The Board’s fiscal year 2026 budget focuses on strengthening student experiences and outcomes and is directly aligned to the new Strategic Plan. The Board’s recommended FY26 budget now goes to the City Council, which moves forward its bottom line. A final Council vote on the school budget is anticipated on May 19 and it will go to voters on June 10.

As of April 1, the PPS Food Service team has been serving halal meals as a daily lunch option. Halal refers to foods that are permissible for Muslims to consume. Halal foods are free of ingredients like pork or alcohol, and comply with rules and standards around preparation and cleanliness. PPS halal meals are healthy, more inclusive menu items that all students can enjoy – not just students who follow a halal way of eating. 

The Casco Bay High School Mock Trial Team is very grateful to a Portland law firm for its generous support as the team heads to a national competition in May. “Thank you to Murray Plumb & Murray for sponsoring the Casco Bay High School Mock Trial team at the superior solicitors level,” said Jake McNally, Casco Bay math teacher and Mock Trial coach.