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Portsmouth High School is a public high school located on Aquidneck Island in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, United States. Part of the Portsmouth Public School system, the school serves approximately 900 9th-12th grade students from Portsmouth and nearby Little Compton. It opened in 1963.

History
Prior to the majority of Portsmouth High School being constructed, the school began life as Fort Butts School during the 1950s. The school was named after the nearby Butts Hill Fort, a site that was used during the American Revolutionary War. PHS was eventually built using the existing structures from Fort Butts School, with the main hallway now serving as the school's "E Wing"

A new gym building was completed in the mid 2000s as an updated facility to the original 1963 gym. The building is separated from the rest of the school, though it sits adjacent to the building's main entrance. The school makes use of both the original and new gym facilities.

On January 30, 2018, former student Marcus Schlip assaulted a gym teacher while trying to gain access to the gym. He was arrested shortly after in the main office while attempting to speak with the principal, and was found to be carrying a large knife in a backpack. Schlip was later charged with three years probation, an order to continue mental health counseling, and a no-contact order for the victim.

Portsmouth High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Rhode Island. As of 2021, US News ranks PHS at #4 for the state.

Curriculum
Portsmouth High School operates on an alternating A/B Day block schedule, with four classes each day and a total of eight classes per student. Each course offered is valued either at one credit for those offered for a full academic year, or half a credit for those offered only for a semester.

Alongside core classes such as English and Math, other courses offered include Modern World Language, Fine Arts (music and art), Computer Science and Technology. Grades are distributed on a standard A-F scale.

The school also offers several state-approved career and technical education (CTE) programs, which are open to both residents of Portsmouth and qualifying non-resident students. The programs are as follows:


 * The Academy for Education, Child Development, and Human Services
 * The Academy for Visual Arts and Design
 * The Academy for Media Communications and Digital Video Production
 * The Academy for Engineering Design

Graduation Requirements
Each year, courses such as English, Math, Social Studies, and Science are offered as one credit courses, while more specific concentrations such as Physical Education or Technology are typically offered as half-credit courses.
 * English: 4 credits
 * Mathematics: 4 credits
 * Social Studies (including US History): 3 credits
 * Science: 3 credits
 * Physical Education/Health: 2 credits
 * Technology: 0.5 credits
 * Fine Arts: 0.5 credits
 * Financial literacy: 0.5 credits
 * Student exhibition project, or equivalent alternative

Extra-Curriculars
Portsmouth High School's music program offers a variety of performing groups, including marching band, dance team, color guard, concert band, jazz band, chorus, and string ensemble. The groups have travelled to perform at a variety of locations over the years, including Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Hersheypark, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Boston, and Washington, D.C., amongst others. The marching band was selected as an official Rhode Island parade delegate for the 1981 First inauguration of Ronald Reagan and the 2013 Second inauguration of Barack Obama.

PHS also offers clubs that align with most academic subjects offered at the school for students to further engage with in their own time.