Enrollment
928
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Portland, ME
South Portland High School
Federal NCES profile for South Portland High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 231233000585
👥 S:T ratio 50
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Portland High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Maine schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maine.
- #7 of 9
- public schools in South Portland · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- large classes for Maine
- 26.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Portland High School has class sizes larger than 78% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Portland High School ranks #7 of 9 public schools in South Portland, ME.
School address
District: South Portland Public Schools · Maine
NCES ID 231233000585 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
75.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.6%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Portland High School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Portland High School
South Portland High School is a large high school in South Portland, Maine, enrolling 928 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maine, bigger than 99% of state schools at 928 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 569 scored Maine schools.
Against 43 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #12.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 232 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
South Portland Public Schools also operates Daniel F. Mahoney Middle School (424 students) and Memorial Middle School (388 students) alongside South Portland High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Portland High School compares
South Portland High School on the metrics families compare, against Maine and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maine | Maine avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▲ 12% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.6% | ▼ 22% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 928 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
928
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the Maine average of 34.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in Maine - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,364
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maine avg of $20,083
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 232 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
57
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 64.0%
African American 19.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Two or More 5.6%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.4, South Portland High School is more mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Portland Public Schools, which includes South Portland High School.
$16,364
Per student
-19%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.2%
State 20.6%
Federal 2.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How South Portland High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel F. Mahoney Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Memorial Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waldo T Skillin Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frank I Brown Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dyer Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Portland High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 302
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 213
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 194
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maine, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~928 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Portland High School's federal record.
- Compare South Portland High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Portland Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about South Portland High School
How many students attend South Portland High School?
South Portland High School has 928 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Portland, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Portland High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Portland High School is 12.4:1, which is 12% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Portland High School?
26.6% of students at South Portland High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Portland High School?
The largest demographic group at South Portland High School is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in South Portland, ME. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Portland High School?
South Portland High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Portland High School rank among public schools in South Portland?
By Resource Investment Index, South Portland High School ranks #7 of 9 public schools in South Portland, ME. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in South Portland on the city page.
Is South Portland High School a good school?
South Portland High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Maine schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maine. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in South Portland Public Schools?
Besides South Portland High School, South Portland Public Schools also operates Daniel F. Mahoney Middle School (424 students), Memorial Middle School (388 students), and Waldo T Skillin Elementary School (302 students). See the South Portland Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.