784 Ocean Avenue
Portland, ME 04103

Deering high school is a great school. It has had some issues in the past but has, in my experience as a student, consistently progressed in quality and attention to the needs of the students. Although members of the student body can sometimes be rambunctious go over the top (which can be said to some extent about almost all schools), the majority of the students are kind and chill. Deering is a great school with very diverse cultures and community overall.

Both of my children went to Reiche. I don't usually post reviews online, but after seeing the horrible rating on this site, I felt compelled. The teachers are incredible: hardworking, intelligent, creative, and caring. They are so good at building community in an amazingly diverse school for Maine. The international potluck will rock your tastebuds and the talent show will have you weepy at least once. I am a teacher in one of the rich suburban schools nearby and am so glad my kids went to Reiche!

First the positives..Teachers at the school really seem to care about the children. My kids have been lucky to have supportive, dedicated teachers and advisors that they trust, like, and learn from. It's also a beautiful community of children, where kids can find diverse friend groups, and where there is comparatively little of the friction and bullying that people associate with middle school.This school has struggled with its administration, though. Communication with the principal's office is difficult, which is unusual for a Portland school. When asked to respond to specific concerns or needs, they either ignore or deflect, which makes working with them very frustrating. It's too bad - Lyman Moore has a great school community which deserves better leadership.

My son is a student at PHS and is receiving an excellent education. He is being challenged and has an extensive selection of STEM electives to choose from. AP classes senior year offer courses at local colleges. As a violinist, he finds the orchestra a great group with exceptional instruction. Sports are competitive with a strong emphasis on true sportsman/woman ship and teamwork. The diversity makes for a rich experience. Highly recommend.

In complete honesty, this school has both its pros and its cons. However, one major issue I want to address is how little teachers motivate students to truly push themselves, especially during freshman year. A common conversation among upperclassmen is how they wish they had tried harder as freshmen, and how little encouragement they received from teachers to go beyond the minimum.It’s frustrating that lower grades are often treated as impressive when they really shouldn’t be. Instead of challenging students to exceed expectations, the minimum effort is frequently praised. I say this wholeheartedly: students are rarely pushed to reach their full potential.Additionally, I don’t believe the school adequately prepares students for college. We are often allowed to revise assignments repeatedly, receive honor-level grades on second attempts, and still be considered “above and beyond” even when the work doesn’t truly reflect that level of effort.While I do agree that this school has a strong sense of community and care for its students and staff, when it comes to academic rigor and preparation for college, I would not recommend it.

My daughter went here for 6 of the most important and enriching years of her school experience. The entire school is so committed to their students -and parents too. I cannot say enough good things really. My daughter was and is developmentally challenged and has ADHD, but they kept her with her peers and helped her in and outside of class. She felt a special part of the community, loved and cared for and supported in many ways. The diversity of the community is the strength of the school in many ways. I can't imagine a better environment to grow and learn and develop in. The new construction and renovations going on will really help in many of the ways they excel and expand their impact as educators. We were blessed beyond words. Thank you Presumpscot!