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Superintendent cites improved attendance, growth on SATs and PBIS gains; district honors retirees and teacher of the year
Summary
Superintendent Tim Matheny reported decreased chronic absenteeism, PBIS adoption districtwide and an SAT average that now meets the national average; the board recognized teachers and retirees and announced the resignation of a senior administrator effective Dec. 5.
Superintendent Tim Matheny told the School Board on June 9 that South Portland Public Schools have seen improvements in attendance, school climate and standardized-testing measures this year and that the district will recognize staff retirements and awards.
Matheny said the district decreased chronic student absenteeism by 6% in the 2022–23 school year and that preliminary data for 2024–25 shows an additional 2%–4% decrease; taken together he said the two-year decline would likely be about 10%.
He credited Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for culture and climate improvements and told the board the district is now a districtwide PBIS district. Matheny referenced Principal Sarah Glenn’s May report to note a notable decline in incidents that resulted in out-of-school suspensions in recent years and highlighted that South Portland High School’s average SAT score, which trailed the national average in 2018, now slightly exceeds the national average — Matheny said the most recent figure is one point above the national average.
Matheny also announced that Timothee (surname not specified in presentation) submitted a resignation effective Dec. 5 and that the district is working on a transition and search process. He reminded the public about the budget referendum vote scheduled for June 10 and the next regular board meeting on July 14.
The board and administrators recognized several staff members: Monica Malcolmson was identified as the 2025 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year and Beth Kellogg, principal at Brown School, spoke about Malcolmson’s classroom practices and community work. The board honored nine retirees with a combined 242 years of service, naming staff and service years for each honoree.
Student representative Angela gave a report on end-of-year activities across schools, including summer credit recovery dates at the high school and arts and middle-school events. Matheny noted the district-run school-based health center at South Portland Middle School will operate Tuesdays and Thursdays through the summer with services provided by Greater Portland Health.
