With the 2026-2027 school year launched, Superintendent Ryan Scallon sent a letter to the PPS community on Sept. 10. The letter recounted the energy and excitement of the first days of school; talked about the Belonging, Believing and Achieving theme for this school year; urged families to fill out their crucial Household Income Data Form; gave a summary of the Portland Board of Public Education's Sept. 8 business meeting; and included news on PPS students being named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and on upcoming observances and events, such as a Community Middle School Design Session on Sept. 16. The Superintendent also shared his thoughts on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11. Read the superintendent's letter:

September 10, 2026

Dear PPS Community,

We have two weeks of school behind us, and they have been a good two weeks. The first day gets the attention, but the second week is when the school year really begins. Routines settle in, teaching gets going, and students stop looking for their classroom and start looking forward to it.

I have now been in every one of our mainland schools, and I am looking forward to getting out to our two island schools soon. I have talked with students and parents along the way. Students are honest about missing summer. They are also telling me the year has started well, and their families are saying the same thing. You can see a bit of what I saw in this short video: A Great Start to the School Year.

Belonging. Believing. Achieving. At our staff welcome event last month, we named three words for this school year, and I saw all three come to life in these first two weeks. Belonging: our schools went out of their way to make every student feel welcome from the moment they walked in the door. In our elementary schools, the day begins with a morning meeting, where every child gets a moment to be seen and heard. Believing: teachers set high expectations from day one, starting with the routines that make a classroom work. Achieving: our schools got right down to teaching and learning. That is what we owe every student. A place where they belong, adults who believe in them, and the support they need to achieve. You can read more about this year’s strategic goals.

Congratulations to Our National Merit Semifinalists. Four PPS students have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists: Casco Bay High School senior Sebastian Milstein-Jones, and Portland High School seniors Beatrice DeVito, Charlotte Knake and Kate Morrison. Congratulations to them, to their families, and to the educators who helped them get here. This is one of many places where the strength of our students shows, and we see it in all of our schools.

One Form, and It Is Worth Real Money to Our Schools. Please take a few minutes to complete your family’s Household Income Data Form by October 2. It was sent to you on Sunday, September 6, through ReachMyTeach. This form matters more this year than it ever has, and that is good news. Our district worked with partners at the State House to change how Maine funds schools, and that work paid off. The information families give on this form now counts twice in the state funding formula. If every family completes it, our schools could receive millions of dollars in additional state funding next year.

Like districts across Maine, we are working with a tight budget, and new state dollars go straight into classrooms. This is a real opportunity, and it is one place where a few minutes from each family adds up to something significant for all of our students.

Three things to know. This is not a meal application, and school meals are free for every student. Every family should complete it, whatever your income. And your information is confidential, used only to set funding for our schools and not shared outside the district and the Maine Department of Education.

Board of Education Meeting Update. The Board met on Tuesday, September 8, and adopted this year’s superintendent goals. This is a new step for us, and I am glad we are taking it. For the first time, our strategic plan, the Board’s priorities, and my own commitments are connected in one public document, with set dates for the Board to check on progress. Doing that in open session is the point. It lets our staff and our families see what we have committed to and hold us to it.

Senior Director of Finance Lesa Beck also gave a budget update on how last year closed and what that means for next year, along with a budget resolution that comes back to the Board for a vote on September 22. Three departments presented in our fall Focus on Education cycle: partnerships, communications and facilities. The Board also heard an update on our work to support families affected by immigration-related issues. You can read the full agenda or watch the meeting on YouTube.

Have a Say in the Future of Our Middle Schools. Our next Middle School Design community session is Wednesday, September 16, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Lyman Moore Middle School. It is open to anyone who wants a say in what the middle school experience in Portland should be, and we would love to hear from as many families as we can.

Dates and Observances. Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15, and our students will see that history and culture reflected in classrooms and at school events. Rosh Hashanah begins Friday evening, and schools and district offices are closed Monday, September 21 for Yom Kippur. To our Jewish students, families and staff, I wish you a sweet new year and a meaningful fast. The next Board of Education business meeting is Tuesday, September 22.

This Friday marks 25 years since September 11, 2001. Nearly all of our students were born after that day. Our schools will mark the anniversary in ways that fit the age of the students in the room, with the same care our teachers bring to all difficult history. What I hope our students carry from it is the part that came after: neighbors taking care of neighbors, and a country that found something in common. That feels especially important these days.

Two weeks in, our schools feel like themselves again, and the year ahead looks like a good one. Thank you to the staff who made that happen. I am looking forward to the rest of this year with all of you.

Sincerely,

Ryan Scallon, Ed.D.

Superintendent