The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in Math. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Dora L Small Elementary School
Dora L Small Elementary School sits on Thompson Street in South Portland, serving kindergarten through fourth grade as part of South Portland Public Schools. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, and its enrollment is modest for an elementary building of this grade span. The school draws from a city that is far more varied than a typical suburb. South Portland mixes residential neighborhoods with large-scale retail, an industrial waterfront, semiconductor manufacturing, and a community college campus. The Maine Mall anchors a major retail corridor in the western part of the city, while older village neighborhoods like Knightville, Ferry Village, and Willard retain walkable street grids near the water. The Greenbelt walkway connects neighborhoods, and Bug Light Park, Spring Point Ledge Light, and Southern Maine Community College serve as civic anchors on the eastern waterfront.
Academically, Dora L Small posts strong state assessment results. On the Maine Through Year Assessment in the most recent reported year, roughly three quarters of tested students reached proficiency in math, and a similar though slightly lower share reached proficiency in English language arts. Both figures sit well above what Maine schools typically post. Science results, drawn from an earlier testing cycle, were more modest, with fewer than half of tested students reaching proficiency. A parent may want to look into how the school approaches science instruction and whether that earlier result reflects a one-year pattern or a longer gap. Participation was full across all tested subjects. Average scale scores were not reported, so there is no additional detail on how students cluster within or above the proficient range. Trend data was not available, which means there is no clean year-over-year comparison to show whether these proficiency levels are rising, falling, or stable.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students identifying as Black, Hispanic, multirace, and other backgrounds. A modest portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is low relative to many public elementary schools and reflects the working- and middle-class character of much of South Portland. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status was not available, so the picture of those populations is incomplete here. Class sizes across the five grades are fairly even, with no single grade dominating the building.
South Portland's housing market shapes who can live near this school. Typical home values in the surrounding zip code run above both the Maine and national benchmarks, and rents have been climbing faster than home prices in percentage terms. With current mortgage rates, the estimated monthly cost of owning is higher than renting, which may push some families toward rental options. The broader economy is stable, with unemployment holding low and median household income trending upward over the past decade.
The district is in the middle of a generational facilities change. In 2022, South Portland voters approved a bond to rebuild and consolidate elementary schools, with construction beginning the following year. This affects how elementary campuses are configured and what capacity looks like across the district, so a parent considering Dora L Small should check with the district on how the current construction plan affects attendance boundaries, building use, and any potential transitions for incoming kindergartners.
What the data does not cover is worth naming. No information was available on Title I status, discipline patterns, course access, staffing ratios, attendance, or specialized programs. Civil rights data was not provided. The school's locale classification was also missing. These gaps mean the account here leans on academics, demographics, housing, and the surrounding community. A parent weighing this school should ask the front office about support services, enrichment offerings, and how the district's construction plans will shape the building's role in the years ahead.
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