South Portland decides where to send students after closing elementary school

 James O. Kaler Elementary School in South Portland earlier this month. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) SOUTH PORTLAND — Kaler families know where their students will go to school next year.  The South Portland School Board approved a modification of the city’s attendance zones to accommodate the closure of [James O. Kaler Elementary School](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/03/31/south-portland-will-close-kaler-elementary/). The 132 students who would have previously attended Kaler will be split among the remaining four elementary schools, with 25 heading to Waldo T. Skillin, 30 to Helena H. Dyer, 54 to Frank I. Brown and 23 to Dora L. Small elementary schools. The other school zones remain the same. Students living in Cash Corner between Lincoln and Main streets and Broadway, and in Pleasantdale between North Kelsey Street and the intersection of Broadway and Evans Street will go to Brown. Those in Pleasantdale between Morse and South Kelsey streets will attend Small. The area in Cash Corner between Rumery Street and Broadway will be districted for Dyer. Students who live on the side streets off Main Street in Thornton Heights will head to Skillin. The board was originally split on the plan, and some members were concerned that students wouldn’t attend the school closest to them and that some neighborhoods would be split up. After further discussion, the board voted again, and only member Daniel Feller voted against it. “It’s the best option out of bad options,” said Vice Chair Tyler Smith.  Advertisement The school waiver process will be a way to accommodate the wishes of individual Kaler families, according to member Claire Holman.  Families can apply for waivers if they want their student to attend a school other than the one they are zoned for. The district’s administrators review applications, and if approved, exceptions last for one year and require parents to transport their kids instead of using the bus system. There are typically 10 to 20 active waivers at any given time, according to Assistant Superintendent Johanna Prince.  Board members said that Kaler families should be prioritized in the waiver process and that the district should consider providing transportation to these families.  Related [South Portland will close Kaler Elementary](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/03/31/south-portland-will-close-kaler-elementary/) The district sought to ease the transition socially by keeping siblings together and maintaining some peer and neighborhood connections, according to Prince.  It also worked toward balancing the ratios of students of color, students in lower socioeconomic households, students with Individual Education Plans and multilingual students.  Each of the four remaining elementary schools will have between 32% and 56% students from lower socioeconomic households. This past school year, that range was between 24% and 58%. All schools will have double-digit percentages of multilingual students.  Skillin will still have the smallest class size, with an average of about 17 students per classroom. For kindergarten through second grade, the average class size in the district will jump from about 17 to 19. For third through fifth grade, the average class size will increase from about 18 to 20. The four elementary schools will reach 90% to 95% capacity.  The district is collaborating with a school bus logistics team in the next few weeks to come up with a district-wide transportation plan.  Copy the Story Link Tagged: [south portland school board](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/south-portland-school-board/), [South Portland Schools](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/south-portland-schools/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie) [Dana RichieStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie) Dana Richie is a community reporter covering South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Originally from Atlanta, she fell in love with the landscape and quirks of coastal New England while completing her undergraduate. [More by Dana Richie](https://www.pressherald.com/author/dana-richie)