Portsmouth School District
Public school district · Rockingham County · New Hampshire · NCES district ID 3305820
Portsmouth School District spent $25,059 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 90% of the other New Hampshire districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $21,779). Its 6 schools enrolled 2,427 students in 2024-25; 23.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $27,140 per student, up 8.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 97% (New Hampshire: 88.1%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among New Hampshire districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Portsmouth in enrollment (1,975 to 3,064 students) and Portsmouth itself.
Where the money came from
$62,432,000 in revenue: 23.5% state, 71.9% local and 4.6% federal. Total spending including $445,000 of capital outlay was $62,902,000, or $25,262 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$14,663,000 23%
- Local$44,885,000 72%
- Federal$2,884,000 5%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 49 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
2,482 students in 2022-23, 2,443 students in 2023-24, 2,427 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,482 | 229.3 | 10.8 |
| 2023-24 | 2,443 | 224.6 | 10.9 |
| 2024-25 | 2,427 | 240.0 | 10.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$23,766,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $9,545 per student
Portsmouth School District booked $23,766,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 229 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $103,646 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 88 in 100 New Hampshire districts with a figure (state median $85,704, 137 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average New Hampshire teacher salary at $62,783 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $15,816,000 | 66.5% |
| Special education | $6,243,000 | 26.3% |
| Vocational | $1,175,000 | 4.9% |
| Other programs | $532,000 | 2.2% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $6,515 in 2018-19, $7,917 in 2019-20, $8,437 in 2020-21, $8,883 in 2021-22, $9,545 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Portsmouth School District scored proficient or above: 75% in reading and 63% in math, against 50.8% in reading and 40.5% in math across New Hampshire. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within New Hampshire, not across states.
| Subject | This district | New Hampshire | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 75% | 50.8% | 1,172 |
| Math | 63% | 40.5% | 1,175 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
97% of the 279 students in Portsmouth School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88.1% across New Hampshire. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | New Hampshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 97% | 88.1% |
| Students in the class | 279 | 13,202 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
3 elementary schools, 900 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary C. Dondero Elementary School | 328 | 9.4 | 12.5% | Targeted program |
| Little Harbour School | 325 | 9.6 | 10.2% | Not Title I |
| New Franklin School | 247 | 8.5 | 17.4% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 486 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth Middle School | 486 | 10.3 | 15.4% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 1,017 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth High School | 1,017 | 11.4 | 9.5% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 24 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEEP School - Pre School Program | 24 | 4.0 | 33.3% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Portsmouth School District
- Website: cityofportsmouth.com
- Phone: (603) 431-5080
- Office: 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Portsmouth School District
- New Hampshire districts by spending per studentPortsmouth School District ranks 6 of 49 New Hampshire districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($25,059).#6 of 49
- Every school district in New HampshirePortsmouth School District is the number 17 by size of 197 New Hampshire districts, with 2,490 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#17 of 197
- Goffstown School DistrictThe next larger New Hampshire district: 2,773 students in fall 2022, $16,886 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,886
- Exeter Region Cooperative School DistrictThe next smaller New Hampshire district: 2,406 students in fall 2022, $24,821 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$24,821
- Compare Portsmouth School District with Goffstown School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Portsmouth High School, its largest high school1,017 students in 2024-25, 11.4 per teacher.1,017
- Teacher salary spending across New HampshirePortsmouth School District spent $103,646 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $85,704); spending, not a salary.$103,646
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Portsmouth School District
How many schools and students are in Portsmouth School District?
6 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high, 1 other), enrolling 2,427 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Portsmouth School District spend per student?
$25,059 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the New Hampshire median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $21,779 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $27,140 per student, up 8.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Portsmouth School District's money come from?
$62,432,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 23.5% state, 71.9% local and 4.6% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Portsmouth School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 94 of the 2,246 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 4.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Portsmouth School District spend on teacher salaries?
$23,766,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $9,545 per student. Divided by the 229 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $103,646 per teacher, more than 88 in 100 New Hampshire districts (state median $85,704). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average New Hampshire teacher salary at $62,783 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Portsmouth School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Portsmouth School District scored proficient or above: 75% in reading and 63% in math, against 50.8% in reading and 40.5% in math across New Hampshire. New Hampshire's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Portsmouth School District?
97% of the 279 students in Portsmouth School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88.1% across New Hampshire. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Portsmouth School District's NCES district ID?
3305820. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25