Portland Public Schools operates 16 public schools serving 6,476 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Maine. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 other, 3 high, 3 middle, 3 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 6,548 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Cumberland County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,987 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 68.1% local, 23.3% state, and 8.7% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $123,085 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 65/100, ranked #33 of 131 in Maine against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (29 AP courses district-wide), a 239.5:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 30.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 54.0% White, 26.7% African American, 9.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Portland Public Schools school enrollment varies 304× across entities
Portland Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 3 students (lowest) to 912 students (highest), a spread of 909 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Portland Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 240:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Portland Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 30.9% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Portland Public Schools has 16 schools, including 3 high, 7 other, 3 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 6,476 students.
How much does Portland Public Schools spend per student?
Portland Public Schools spends $21,987 per student. The district has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #33 in Maine.
What is the average teacher salary in Portland Public Schools?
The average teacher salary in Portland Public Schools is $123,085 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Portland Public Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cumberland County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Portland Public Schools?
Portland Public Schools students are 54.0% White, 26.7% African American, 9.0% Hispanic or Latino, 3.8% Asian, averaged across 16 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Portland Public Schools?
Portland Public Schools has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #33 out of 131 districts in Maine. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.