Students at Portland public schools can expect later start times next year On Tuesday, May 18, board members for Portland Public Schools voted seven to two to adopt later start times for the 2021-2022 school year. Author: Chloe Teboe (NEWS CENTER Maine) Published: 1:03 PM EDT May 19, 2021 Updated: 1:05 PM EDT May 19, 2021 PORTLAND, Maine — Next year, students attending public schools in Portland will be able to push their alarm clocks back a bit after a school board vote to approve later school start times. On Tuesday, May 1, the school board voted seven to two to approve proposed later start times for the 2021-2022 school year. Some members say schedule changes during the pandemic have highlighted benefits that a delayed start can have.