South Portland High School

Public school in South Portland, , Maine, United States

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South Portland High School is a public high school located in South Portland, Maine, United States.

The first high school in what is now South Portland was built in 1874 while the City was part of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The school was on the 2nd floor of a new municipal building built in 1874 until that building burnt down in 1921. The current building on Highland Avenue was erected in 1952, with a gymnasium added in 1958, an annex in 1962, and an auditorium and cafeteria in 1997.^[2] It was originally built for middle (then “junior high”) school students until the high school and middle school switched building in 1960.^[3]

Renovations

The current high school building has been renovated and expanded. Renovation was approved in a 2010 referendum, and groundbreaking took place in May 2012.^[4] Over 100,000 square feet was added to the school. The first stage of expansion to the school was complete in early January 2014.^[5] On January 3, 2015, the final phase of the renovations were completed and staff moved into the building to set up for class on January 5. In total, the project lasted 33 months and cost a total of $47.3 million. At the time, it was among the highest-price high school projects in state history and was paid for entirely without state funds.^[6]

Notable alumni

Jim Beattie, Major League Baseball player^[7]
Brett Brown, former head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers^[8]
Charlie Furbush, Major League Baseball pitcher^[9]
Edward C. Reynolds, judge, state legislator (Class of 1877)^[3]
Leigh Saufley, first woman Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court 2001-2020; dean of the University of Maine School of Law 2020-^[10]
Bill Swift, Major League Baseball pitcher^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b "South Portland High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
^ Maxwell, Trevor (June 1, 2011). "South Portland residents get a look at school 'investment'". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
^ ^a ^b DiPhilippo, Kathryn (April 6, 2014). "The origins of South Portland High School". South Portland Sentry. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
^ "Groundbreaking for the South Portland High School Renovation and Addition Project". South Portland School Department. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
^ Harry, David (January 3, 2014). "First phase of $47 million South Portland High School expansion set to open". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
^ Bridgers, Leslie (January 3, 2015). "South Portland's overhauled high school ready for opening bell". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
^ "Jim Beattie comes home to Maine to large welcome". Bangor Daily News. Associated Press. December 8, 1978. p. 26. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
^ Pompey, Keith (August 12, 2013). "Sixers hire South Portland native Brett Brown as head coach". Bangor Daily News. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
^ "Charlie Furbush Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
^ Jordan, Glenn (June 15, 2012). "Leigh Saufley: When Saufley was in school, 'girls' sports were not big'". Portland Press Herald. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
^ "Arizona Christian University - Baseball: Former MLB Pitcher Bill Swift Hired as ACU Head Coach". Arizona Christian University. Retrieved July 20, 2014.