News & Events

At its April 8 meeting, the Board of Public Education unanimously approved a 2025-2026 district calendar that includes Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr as new district holidays. Starting in the fall, students and staff at the Portland Public Schools, Maine’s most diverse school district, can observe those major religious holidays with their families without having to miss school. 

The Portland Board of Public Education voted on April 8 to approve a $171.7 million school budget for the 2025-2026 school year to recommend to the City Council. The Board’s fiscal year 2026 budget focuses on strengthening student experiences and outcomes and is directly aligned to the new Strategic Plan. The Board’s recommended FY26 budget now goes to the City Council, which moves forward its bottom line. A final Council vote on the school budget is anticipated on May 19 and it will go to voters on June 10.

Join us for Sips, Sweets, and Stories, the Portland Public Schools’ Make It Happen spring fundraiser! This unforgettable cultural tasting experience will take place on April 16 at Ocean Gateway Pier from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. All funds will go to support of Make It Happen, a program that provides multilingual students with a pathway to academic success and college readiness.

Bululu Ngalamulume is the first graduate of Portland Adult Education’s Transportation Careers Program to secure a bus driver position with the Portland Public Schools. The district is hopeful it will be able to hire more drivers from the PAE program in the future.

The Foundation for Portland Public Schools (FPPS) is thrilled to bring vision vans to the Portland Public Schools (PPS) to provide students with free eye exams and glasses. On January 6-8, 2025, a van from Boston-based 20/20 Onsite will provide vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses to dozens of PPS students at no cost to their families. The van will visit Reiche Community School, Gerald E. Talbot Community School, and Portland Adult Education.

One returning Board member, two new members and five student representatives were sworn in at the Portland Board of Public Education’s Dec. 3 Inauguration Ceremony. The Board also voted for Sarah Lentz to serve for the third consecutive time as Board chair for the coming year and for Abusana “Micky” Bondo to be vice chair for a third year.