The Brief History of South Portland High School

South Portland High School opened in 1952. Beal Gym was added in 1958 and the annex was built in 1962.  In 1997, the the cafeteria and the auditorium were added.  The building is approximately 200,000 sq. ft. and has over 900 students in grades 9 – 12.

Our 58 year old high school has simply outlived it’s useful life.  The school’s electrical, plumbing and heating systems are obsolete and costly to maintain; there is asbestos throughout the building and the school does not comply with ADA, DEP and air quality standards.  South Portland High School’s accreditation is currently on “warning status” because of the many issues with our facility. South Portland needs a new high school building which will support education for the 21st century.  The proposed building will incorporate principles of green design, have energy efficient systems and meet all health, safety and accessibility codes. In 2007, a proposed $56 million renovation plan for the high school was defeated in a referendum vote.  Since then, the Secondary Schools Facilities Committee has been working with the project architects to reduce the size and scope of the project.  The design has been compacted and the price reduced. On November 2nd, voters in South Portland will consider a $41.5 million bond issue to fund the renovation of South Portland High School.