South Portland Public Schools, ME

Original Research by School Decision on South Portland Public Schools

South Portland Public Schools serves a mid-sized Maine city just across the Fore River from Portland, in Cumberland County. The district runs from prekindergarten through twelfth grade across a handful of elementary buildings, a consolidated middle school, and South Portland High School. Two older middle schools, Daniel F. Mahoney and Memorial, are now closed, and a newer South Portland Middle School has taken their place, a shift that came alongside broader facility changes. In 2022, South Portland voters approved a bond to rebuild and consolidate elementary schools, with construction beginning in the 2023-2024 year. Publicly reported coverage describes this as a lasting change to school configuration and capacity, so families looking at elementary enrollment should expect building transitions and redrawn attendance areas in the near term.

On Maine's state assessments for grades three through eight, the district's English language arts results stand out as a strength. A clear majority of tested students reached proficiency, a result that suggests solid literacy instruction across the elementary and middle grades. Mathematics proficiency landed above the halfway mark as well, though a meaningful share of students still did not meet the state bar. Science was the softer area, with fewer than half of tested students demonstrating proficiency. A parent weighing enrollment might look into the district's science curriculum and instructional time at the upper elementary and middle levels to understand what lies behind that result. No trend data was available, so it is hard to say whether these proficiency levels are improving, declining, or holding steady. Participation rates were also not reported.

The student body is one of the more diverse in Maine. White students form the largest group, but the district enrolls a substantial Black population, a meaningful Hispanic contingent, and smaller Asian and multiracial communities. This composition reflects South Portland's character as a working- and middle-class city with immigrant and refugee resettlement over recent years, and it shapes the peer environment in ways many families will see as a genuine asset. At the same time, the data does not tell us about English learner counts, special education enrollment, or the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Those gaps mean a parent cannot assess from this profile alone how the district serves its most vulnerable populations. The schools would be the right place to ask.

The housing market in South Portland is expensive relative to both Maine and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit well above the state figure, and rents have climbed at a faster year-over-year pace than home prices. The affordability picture is tight: a household earning around the state median income would find both buying and renting a stretch, though renting comes in slightly cheaper than carrying a mortgage at current rates. This is a market where housing cost will factor heavily into any family's decision about the district, and where rental availability may matter as much as listings for sale.

No graduation rate was provided for the district, and no data on Advanced Placement, dual-credit, or career-pathway programs was available. Civil-rights data on discipline, course access, and staffing was also absent. These are real gaps. A parent trying to understand the high school experience or whether the district offers accelerated and technical pathways will need to go directly to South Portland High School and the district office for that information. The profile can confirm strong elementary and middle-grade literacy, a diverse student community, and a district mid-stream in a major facilities overhaul. What happens at the high school level, and how the district supports its English learners and students with disabilities, is not visible in the data we have.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,942

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 8%

Black 21%

White 62%

Asian 3%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

47%

74%

Gr 4

55%

85%

Gr 5

49%

70%

Gr 6

58%

79%

Gr 7

48%

84%

Gr 8

57%

64%

Gr 38

53%

76%

Math

Gr 3

58%

85%

Gr 4

49%

84%

Gr 5

40%

73%

Gr 6

28%

53%

Gr 7

22%

63%

Gr 8

45%

64%

Gr 38

40%

71%

Science

Gr 5

18%

48%

Gr 8

39%

59%

Gr 38

29%

53%

Schools in this District

9 schools are officially reported under this district.

Waldo T Skillin Elementary School

Daniel F. Mahoney Middle School

Dora L Small Elementary School

Dyer Elementary School

Memorial Middle School

South Portland High School

Frank I Brown Elementary School

James Otis Kaler Elementary School

South Portland Middle School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

57%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

66%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

44%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$524,972

Year-over-year change+2.2%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$525K to $889K

vs. state typical1.27x

vs. national typical1.43x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
04106	South Portland	$525K	+2.2%	100.0%
04107	Cape Elizabeth	$889K	+2.0%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,446/mo

Year-over-year change+5.2%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$2,446 to $2,488/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
04106	South Portland	$2,446	+5.2%	100.0%
04107	Cape Elizabeth	$2,488	—	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,649/mo

Home price / national median income6.3x

Annual rent / national median income35.1%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$203/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$412,608 (+0.7% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.