Portsmouth School District

1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 402
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

Portsmouth School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in New Hampshire for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 4 public elementary schools serving 1,400 students in Portsmouth School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public elementary schools in New Hampshire.
Public Elementary Schools in Portsmouth School District have an average math proficiency score of 66% (versus the New Hampshire public elementary school average of 43%), and reading proficiency score of 75% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 24% of the student body (majority Asian), which is more than the New Hampshire public elementary school average of 18% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NH)
# Schools
6 Schools
366 Schools
# Students
2,440 Students
107,082 Students
# Teachers
225 Teachers
9,515 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Portsmouth School District, which is ranked within the top 20% of all 188 school districts in New Hampshire (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 97% has increased from 95% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NH)
#21 out of 189 school districts
(Top 20%)
64%
42%
75%
51%
46%
36%
97%
88%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.37
0.32
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
6%
3%
% Hispanic
6%
8%
% Black
1%
2%
% White
79%
82%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $22,971 is higher than the state median of $22,103. The school district revenue/student has grown by 13% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $23,000 is higher than the state median of $21,321. The school district spending/student has grown by 12% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NH)
Total Revenue
$56 MM
$3,646 MM
Spending
$56 MM
$3,517 MM
Revenue / Student
$22,971
$22,103
Spending / Student
$23,000
$21,321

Best Portsmouth School District Public Elementary Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
New Franklin School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 80-84%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
1 Franklin Dr.
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 436-0910
Gr: K-5 | 256 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 21%
Rank: #22.
Little Harbour School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
50 Clough Dr.
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 436-1708
Gr: K-5 | 335 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #33.
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
32 Van Buren Ave.
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 436-2231
Gr: K-5 | 337 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 27%
Rank: #44.
Portsmouth Middle School
(Math: 61% | Reading: 74%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
155 Parrott Ave.
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 436-5781
Gr: 6-8 | 472 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 25%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 6 schools
  • Grades: PK-13
  • Enrollment: 2,440 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 21%
  • : 97% (Top 5% in NH)
  • : Top 20%
  • : 64% (Top 20%)
  • : 75% (Top 20%)
  • : 46% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NH Dept. of Education

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