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Portland Adult Education (PAE) hosted its 177th graduation ceremony on June 25 at Merrill Auditorium. The event included remarks from PAE administration and staff, Superintendent Ryan Scallon and student speakers, as well as the awarding of scholarships, commendations to graduates and musical performances.

Tuesday, June 17, the last day of the school year for Portland Public Schools students, was a bittersweet day at Lyseth Elementary School, as the school bid goodbye to beloved second-grade teacher Linda Whittum, who is retiring after 37 years with the district.

More than 30 Portland Public Schools employees are retiring this school year. The retirees were honored by the Portland Board of Public Education and the district in a ceremony on Tuesday, June 10. Those recognized have served throughout the district and held a wide variety of roles in service of students and families.

Superintendent Ryan Scallon and Board of Public Education Chair Sarah Lentz issued a statement expressing gratitude to City voters for their decisive approval June 10 of the Portland Public Schools’ budget for fiscal year 2026. Voters also elected retired Portland High School music teacher Jayne Sawtelle to a vacant at-large Board seat.

The Portland Public Schools accepts funding through the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) of 1965. As part of ESEA, the district is required to provide reasonable opportunity for public comment on the consolidated application and consider such comment prior to the submission of the application.

Please join the Portland Public Schools in welcoming some new administrators in the district! They include four new elementary school leaders: Joe Trivisonno, principal at Rowe Elementary School; Laurie Cloutier, principal at Lyseth Elementary School; Taryn Southard, new lead teacher at Reiche Elementary School; and Bill Anton, teaching principal at Peaks Island Elementary School and Cliff Island School. The district also recently hired Dr. Cheryl Proctor as Chief of Schools & Academics; Bryon Newcomb as Director of IT; and Sarah Rent as Elementary Director of Special Education.

Rich Henry, a highly successful and accomplished basketball coach who served as head coach at Waynflete for the past 21 seasons, is joining  the Deering High School athletics family to lead the storied boys basketball program.

The City of Portland has received a grant of approximately $74,000 for a new youth mentoring program at East End Community School. The City’s Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department has started up the program thanks to a grant from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to build an evidence-based youth mentoring program that serves youth who are living in communities impacted by substance misuse.

The Portland Public schools will be operating various summer meal sites at 11 locations across the city of Portland this summer. All children and teens 18 years and younger can receive a nutritious meal free of charge to be enjoyed on site. Most sites will begin serving on Wednesday, June 25. Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. Children and teens can attend any of the meal site locations convenient to them.

The City Council voted unanimously in May to approve the $171.8 million school budget for the 2025-2026 school year. Now it’s the public’s turn: Portland city voters will be asked to give their stamp of approval to the school budget on Tuesday, June 10. In addition to voting on the budget, Portland voters will also have the chance to vote on two candidates running for a vacant seat on the Portland Board of Public Education.

Initial public engagement sessions regarding the work of the Attendance Boundaries Advisory Committee are set for early June. Here are the dates, times and locations of the meetings (PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LOCATION OF THE JUNE 3 MEETING HAS BEEN CHANGED TO EAST END COMMUNITY SCHOOL):

• Monday, June 2, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m, in person at Ocean Avenue Elementary School
• Tuesday, June 3, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m, in person at East End Community School
• Wednesday, June 4, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m, VIRTUAL. Here's the link to join. 

High school graduation exercises for the Portland Public Schools Class of 2025 will all take place at Merrill Auditorium. The district’s three high schools will hold their commencement ceremonies on June 4 and 5.

The last day of school for students for the 2024-2025 school year will be Tuesday, June 17, and the last teacher day will be Wednesday, June 18. On the last student day, schools will dismiss students three hours before their usual release time.

The City of Portland will be holding a public meeting on May 22 regarding a proposed cleanup project of some contaminated soil that was unearthed at Fitzpatrick Stadium during renovations there. The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at the parking lot of the stadium, located at 165 Park Avenue.

The City Council voted unanimously on May 19 to approve the $171.8 million 2025-2026 school year budget recommended by the Portland Board of Public Education. The vote now sends the budget to City voters on June 10. The budget balances fiscal constraints with necessary investments to increase academic rigor, foster a joyful and supportive school culture and help provide more effective instruction to students with disabilities. It would raise the school portion of the property tax rate by 5.33 percent ($0.42 per $1,000 of assessed value). For the owner of a median-priced $500,000 home, the budget would increase property taxes by $210 per year or $17.50 per month.

The New England Environmental Finance Center (NEEFC) at the University of Southern Maine is working with the Portland Public Schools (PPS) on a comprehensive environmental audit and action plan to reduce waste and improve sustainability in 17 of the district’s elementary, middle and high schools. 

The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) invites the community to Spring for Teachers, a celebration of Portland teachers. Spring for Teachers will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 5 p.m. to7 p.m. at Bunker Brewing Co. The event will include the presentation of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Portland High School has a new head football coach: Nick Cliche, who has been the school’s assistant head football coach for the past two years and has extensive coaching experience prior to that.