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Portland Board chair outlines gains in equity, attendance and special education; district plans pre-K expansion
Summary
Sarah Lentz, chair of the Portland Board of Public Education, delivered the State of the Schools address outlining the district’s five-year strategic plan, reporting improved attendance and test scores, a 10% drop in suspensions, special-education investments, and plans to add roughly 60 pre-K seats next year as Maine transitions child development services to districts.
Sarah Lentz, chair of the Portland Board of Public Education, told the City Council Tuesday that Portland Public Schools is "continuing forward" on a five-year strategic plan that centers equity, achievement, the whole student, people, and systems.
"This diversity is our superpower," Lentz said, noting Portland is the largest and most diverse district in Maine and serves 6,244 pre-K–12 students across 10 elementary, three middle and four high schools. She highlighted that more than half of students are economically disadvantaged, nearly a third are English-language learners, about 20% receive special education services, and more than 8% are identified as unhoused.
Lentz detailed measurable improvements: chronic absenteeism is down across grade levels, suspensions have decreased by 10%, and math and reading scores rose at every level, with reading gains apparent among students with IEPs and multilingual learners. The district is implementing a new high-quality English language arts curriculum and has removed cell phones from the school day; Lentz said early feedback shows calmer classrooms and increased engagement.
On early childhood education, Chief of Strategy and Operations Sarah Warren told the council the district currently runs 18 pre-K classrooms (most at 16 students) and plans to add about 60 pre-K seats next year as the state moves child development services (CDS) into school districts. "When I say universal, I mean universal for 4-year-olds," Warren said, noting the district will phase in services for younger ages and must address space and staffing constraints.
Lentz also outlined special-education priorities: improving supports for students with the highest needs, strengthening IEP processes, expanding targeted professional development and deepening family engagement. She said every school now has a dedicated special-education coordinator and that new district leadership positions are being filled to improve service delivery.
The presentation noted a $1,000,000 anonymous gift to expand districtwide arts and music programs and listed student achievements including National Merit semifinalists and athletic championships. Lentz concluded by offering to remain for questions; several councilors praised the presentation and asked follow-up about transportation safety, pre-K timeline and staff retention.
The council did not take action on funding or authorizations during the presentation; Lentz said proposed high-school funding requests to the Maine Department of Education remain under consideration and, if funded, would require long-term planning.
