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records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our
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South Portland, Maine - 8 schools
An equity score of 39/100 ranks South Portland Public Schools #94 of 131 districts in Maine (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $16,364 per pupil, South Portland Public Schools ranks #142 of 203 Maine districts by per-pupil spending (Maine districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,081
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$16,364
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
South Portland Public Schools operates 8 public schools serving 3,081 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Maine. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Cumberland County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,364 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 203 Maine districts by per-pupil spending. See how Maine compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 77.2% local, 20.6% state, and 2.2% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 39/100, ranked #94 of 131 in Maine against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 241.4:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 22.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 63.8% White, 18.0% African American, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is James Otis Kaler Elementary School, with a diversity index of 68.0/100.
South Portland High School accounts for 30.1% of all South Portland Public Schools student enrollment
That dominant concentration means South Portland Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
South Portland Public Schools school enrollment varies 5.2× across entities
South Portland Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 179 students (lowest) to 928 students (highest), a spread of 749 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
South Portland Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 241:1 — 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.
South Portland Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 22.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within South Portland Public Schools is typically wider than the South Portland Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to South Portland Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Maine
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in South Portland Public Schools?
South Portland Public Schools has 8 schools, including 1 high, 5 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,081 students.
How much does South Portland Public Schools spend per student?
South Portland Public Schools spends $16,364 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #94 in Maine.
What is the demographic composition of South Portland Public Schools?
South Portland Public Schools students are 63.8% White, 18.0% African American, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino, 2.7% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for South Portland Public Schools?
South Portland Public Schools has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #94 out of 131 districts in Maine.