Frequently Asked Questions

No, All will be considered equal up until Jan 12th.

If you select Casco Bay as your first preference, you will be prompted to enter a second preference because of the limitations on the size of their ninth grade class. If you enter either Portland or Deering as your first preference, then the other school will be considered your second preference.

You are able to use a phone for these, but if not, please reach out to school counselor.

Yes—once in, a student will be able to remain in at their high school.

No, transportation is offered from the ferry terminal.

All PPS families will be placed first and then we will move on to the OOD process. Families who live outside of Portland now, but who will be living in Portland in September 2023 can be a part of the Portland resident lottery process.

Forms will be sent via email and text. If there are any issues please contact your middle schools.

Click here to learn more about CBHS lottery process.

Yes, that is the goal so long as the sibling will be enrolled next year- not graduating this school year.

Geography is not a factor in the high school placement. Students will have access to the METRO.

No. We will publish a form on this website on December 11th and must be completed by Friday, January 12th 2024.

Students who qualify for special ed, English learners supports, free and reduced lunch, and students categorized as homeless under McKenny-Vento program.

No.

Depends on the services the student receives. We encourage you to speak to school case manager regarding this.

You need to communicate your preference for any of our high schools.

The expectation is that you are committed to attending Casco Bay if you indicate it as your first preferred school.

Special education IEP, Requiring ESL support, Free and Reduced Lunch and eligibility for McKinney-Vento services (unhoused).

Yes.

If you do not submit the form, then your child would be entered into the lottery process as 'no preference'. To submit the form and indicate preference you have to accept the PPS enrollment process. You will still have the right to appeal the decision after the placement is made. The Superintendent's letter on the Transitioning to High School page has a bit more information about the appeals process, and we certainly will include further information about that process in the formal assignment letter you will receive. 

Please see the process here.

They do, but that doesn’t mean they are eligible for Federal Free and Reduced Lunch. There is a process to become eligible for that program and there are benefits beyond free food that come with that eligibility.

This is about when the process happened previously.

No. We will expect student to remain at their assigned school through the ninth grade. Transfers will be considered starting in 10th grade.

You will likely get your second preference.

If there is more interest than spots, there will be a waitlist for the Class of 2028 at CBHS.

There is a schedule workgroup that will review data, looking at the benefits and downfalls of each schedule. They will summarize their findings and share them with the High School Design Team. The High School Design Team, with knowledge of the full scope of the various factors at play in our high schools, will recommend a common schedule. Both the schedule workgroup and High School Design Team have diverse representation - staff, administrators, students, parents, and community members.

Schedules are always changing to meet the needs of students; for that reason, Portland and Deering currently both have at least one class that meets everyday for the full year.

Portland High School has an every other day alternating block schedule - Blue days and White days. (similar to what students experience at the middle school. Students have some classes on a "blue" day and different classes on a "white" day.

Swimming is a co-op sport which means it is one team for both Deering and Portland. Both Deering and Portland have their own boys and girls lacrosse teams.

Students who attend PATHS are enrolled in Deering, Portland, or Casco Bay.

Field hockey, boys and girls ice hockey, skiing and swimming are combined sports.

Students can use the metro to get to and from practices. Students get dismissed early for away games as needed; students can take the metro to the high school and then take the school bus from there.

Each high school has both girls and boys tennis teams.