PPS in the Press
Below is a sampling of media coverage highlighting the great students, staff, schools and programs of the Portland Public Schools:
![Reiche Step into School photo 12]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1786050267/portlandschoolsorg/opady0q9a2eor3wy0ptp/ReicheStepIntoSchoolphoto7.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1786050267/portlandschoolsorg/opady0q9a2eor3wy0ptp/ReicheStepIntoSchoolphoto7.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1786050267/portlandschoolsorg/opady0q9a2eor3wy0ptp/ReicheStepIntoSchoolphoto7.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1786050267/portlandschoolsorg/opady0q9a2eor3wy0ptp/ReicheStepIntoSchoolphoto7.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1786050267/portlandschoolsorg/opady0q9a2eor3wy0ptp/ReicheStepIntoSchoolphoto7.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1786050267/portlandschoolsorg/opady0q9a2eor3wy0ptp/ReicheStepIntoSchoolphoto7.jpg","width":2200}])
This Aug. 5, 2026 story from WMTW-TV Channel 8 tells how some Portland Public Schools students are spending part of their summer reading to worms and exploring school gardens, all while preparing for the upcoming school year. PPS' unique Step-Into-Kindergarten-and-First-Grade program is a free, four-week summer initiative designed to help students entering kindergarten and first grade transition into elementary school.
![Side x Side photo of kids doing artwork]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785790517/portlandschoolsorg/mz5s0hbljpxsnrrecubq/SidexSidephotoofkidsdoingartwork.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785790517/portlandschoolsorg/mz5s0hbljpxsnrrecubq/SidexSidephotoofkidsdoingartwork.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785790517/portlandschoolsorg/mz5s0hbljpxsnrrecubq/SidexSidephotoofkidsdoingartwork.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785790517/portlandschoolsorg/mz5s0hbljpxsnrrecubq/SidexSidephotoofkidsdoingartwork.png","width":1124}])
This August 2026 story in Portland City Lifestyle magazine is about the Portland Public Schools' valued partner Side x Side and their wonderful work with our students. Side x Side empowers youth through the arts by working side by side with teachers, artists, and students to strengthen academic achievement, cultivate creativity, and build community.
![PPH photo of Cordell Jones in football game]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785184284/portlandschoolsorg/w02y2rbt0ebvhg7angfd/PPHphotoCordellJones.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785184284/portlandschoolsorg/w02y2rbt0ebvhg7angfd/PPHphotoCordellJones.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785184284/portlandschoolsorg/w02y2rbt0ebvhg7angfd/PPHphotoCordellJones.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785184284/portlandschoolsorg/w02y2rbt0ebvhg7angfd/PPHphotoCordellJones.jpg","width":1200}])
This July 9, 2026 Portland Press Herald story is about Portland High School's Cordell Jones. A three-sport standout, Jones made his teams better and performed at a high level in a variety of ways. Jones, a member of the Class of 2026 about to embark on a football career at the University of Maine, as a senior led Portland to state runner-up finishes in football and track and field and an unexpected basketball championship. That's why he's the 2025-26 Varsity Maine Male Athlete of the Year.
![Maine Audubon photo of ponding 2025-2026]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785183297/portlandschoolsorg/fte24rjwfnekxlp0qfz5/MaineAudubonphotoponding2025-2026.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785183297/portlandschoolsorg/fte24rjwfnekxlp0qfz5/MaineAudubonphotoponding2025-2026.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785183297/portlandschoolsorg/fte24rjwfnekxlp0qfz5/MaineAudubonphotoponding2025-2026.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785183297/portlandschoolsorg/fte24rjwfnekxlp0qfz5/MaineAudubonphotoponding2025-2026.jpg","width":1030}])
This June 29, 2026 story from Maine Audubon celebrates the organization's success in working with the Portland Public Schools and other schools to get kids outside and exposed to Maine to wildlife and habitat. "Maine Audubon is proud to play a part in creating safe, wondrous, and meaningful learning experiences for students both in and outside of the classroom," the story says.
![Peter McCormack EECS educator PPH photo]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1781821166/portlandschoolsorg/ur3gzn6n8d5ewxizqqjn/PeterMcCormackPPHphoto.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1781821166/portlandschoolsorg/ur3gzn6n8d5ewxizqqjn/PeterMcCormackPPHphoto.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1781821166/portlandschoolsorg/ur3gzn6n8d5ewxizqqjn/PeterMcCormackPPHphoto.jpg","width":780}])
This June 17, 2026 Portland Press Herald story features East End Community School culture and climate coordinator Peter McCormack as the school celebrates its 20th birthday this year. McCormack has worked at the school for a good part of that time, in various roles, and he and other EECS staff are what make the school—which has one of the district's most diverse and economically disadvantaged student bodies—a beloved "special place."
![Photo of classroom at Rowe Elementary PPH photo]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1781292072/portlandschoolsorg/ysizt2bsmeeloacs1tos/RoweElementaryclassroomPPHphoto.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1781292072/portlandschoolsorg/ysizt2bsmeeloacs1tos/RoweElementaryclassroomPPHphoto.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1781292072/portlandschoolsorg/ysizt2bsmeeloacs1tos/RoweElementaryclassroomPPHphoto.jpg","width":780}])
Check out this June 12, 2026 op-ed in the Portland Press Herald from a parent at Rowe Elementary school. Casey McCormack says improvements at Rowe over the past few years have "been amazing to witness as a parent." He also says that "Rowe is not an outlier in Portland. Other elementary schools are showing similar gains. Both Presumpscot Elementary and Lyseth Elementary have shown strong academic growth, with each school ranking among the top 10 most improved in Cumberland County. This kind of progress does not happen by accident. It reflects coordinated efforts across every level of the system."
![Photo of CBHS graduation 2026 caps in air]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1780673554/portlandschoolsorg/kbgqwauqnizsmnixcf8j/CBHSGraduationPhoto1.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1780673554/portlandschoolsorg/kbgqwauqnizsmnixcf8j/CBHSGraduationPhoto1.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1780673554/portlandschoolsorg/kbgqwauqnizsmnixcf8j/CBHSGraduationPhoto1.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1780673554/portlandschoolsorg/kbgqwauqnizsmnixcf8j/CBHSGraduationPhoto1.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1780673554/portlandschoolsorg/kbgqwauqnizsmnixcf8j/CBHSGraduationPhoto1.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1780673554/portlandschoolsorg/kbgqwauqnizsmnixcf8j/CBHSGraduationPhoto1.jpg","width":2200}])
This great story by WGME-TV, Channel 13 reporter Scott Episcopo is about Casco Bay High School's June 4 graduation ceremony for the Class of 2026. The June 5, 2026 story really showcases students' voices and the true spirit of Casco Bay.
![Photo of PHS senior David Tit]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1780596187/portlandschoolsorg/xoqqjumd7y18vfkwen0y/DavidTitPPHphoto.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1780596187/portlandschoolsorg/xoqqjumd7y18vfkwen0y/DavidTitPPHphoto.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1780596187/portlandschoolsorg/xoqqjumd7y18vfkwen0y/DavidTitPPHphoto.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1780596187/portlandschoolsorg/xoqqjumd7y18vfkwen0y/DavidTitPPHphoto.jpg","width":1200}])
This June 3, 2026 Portland Press Herald story highlights 12 seniors throughout Maine who are leaving high school to make their impact on the world but aren’t waiting until they receive their diplomas to start making a difference. Portland High School senior David Tit is one of those featured. Read his story in the article.
![Photo of crossing guard Danny Lowe June 2026]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1780939339/portlandschoolsorg/az6dfbf8td9y33msak5m/DannyDay2026Channel13photo.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1780939339/portlandschoolsorg/az6dfbf8td9y33msak5m/DannyDay2026Channel13photo.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1780939339/portlandschoolsorg/az6dfbf8td9y33msak5m/DannyDay2026Channel13photo.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1780939339/portlandschoolsorg/az6dfbf8td9y33msak5m/DannyDay2026Channel13photo.jpg","width":986}])
June 3, 2026 marked East End Community School's fifth annual "Danny Day," a celebration of Danny Lowe, a beloved school crossing guard, who is a young man with autism. Here's a great story from Maine Public about this heartwarming annual event, which means a lot to Danny and EECS students and families.
![Nludi Celestino and family]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1779826821/portlandschoolsorg/xh68bhwcgre7lamajayr/NludiCelestinoandfamily.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1779826821/portlandschoolsorg/xh68bhwcgre7lamajayr/NludiCelestinoandfamily.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1779826821/portlandschoolsorg/xh68bhwcgre7lamajayr/NludiCelestinoandfamily.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1779826821/portlandschoolsorg/xh68bhwcgre7lamajayr/NludiCelestinoandfamily.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1779826821/portlandschoolsorg/xh68bhwcgre7lamajayr/NludiCelestinoandfamily.jpg","width":1280}])
Check out this May 26, 2026 story from WMTW-TV Channel 8 story on Nludi Celestino, a Casco Bay High School senior 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. That earned him a spot competing for the Youth of the Year regional competition in June.