Founded

1956 Read the Breakwater Story

Head of School

David Sullivan

Location

Our campus sits on the corner of Brighton Avenue and Capisic Street in Portland, Maine.
Breakwater School also owns the 21-acre Jessie Bullens-Crewe Nature Preserve in Cumberland.

Affiliation

Independent, coeducational, non-sectarian

Admissions

Breakwater accepts applications on a rolling basis. Financial aid is available to families who qualify.

Students

140 enrolled in Toddler Program through Grade 8
22 different cities/towns represented in student body

Teacher/Student Ratios

Toddler Program: 1:4 
Preschool: 1:7
Kindergarten: 1:8
Elementary School (Grades 1-5): 1:10
Middle School (Grades 6-8): 1:10

School Hours:

Main Office: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, M - F
Toddler Program: 8:45 am - 2:45 pm*
Preschool - Grade 6: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm*
Middle School (Grades 7-8): 7:45 am - 2:30 pm
Supervised Homework: 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm (optional)

*The Early Childhood Program offers flexible scheduling, including half-day and three-day options.

Early Release Days

Approximately every other Wednesday is a half day with a noon release for all students school-wide

BeforeCare

Available to Breakwater students only, from 7:30 am to 8:00 am for Preschool - Grade 8 (7:45 am - 8:45 am for the Toddler Program)

AfterCare

Available until 5:30 pm; open to nonBreakwater students

Accreditation and Licensure
  • Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
  • Licensed by the State of Maine as a Child Care Center for our Toddler, Preschool, and AfterCare programs and as a Private Elementary School for grades K-8
Memberships
  • National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
  • Independent School Association of Northern New England (ISANNE)
  • Portland Area Reggio Collaborative (PARC)
Partnerships and Collaborations
  • Breakwater partners with the Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) who provides our Middle School band program as well as after-school Enrichment offerings.
  • BWS is a teaching practicum site for Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) Early Childhood students.
  • Breakwater is a Lab School for the Maine College of Art (MECA) and SPACE Gallery.
  • BWS is a founding partner for the collaborative Nason’s Corner Park Greening Project.
  • Breakwater partners with Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ (FOKO) and serves as the guardians, or "Keepers of the Kotzsch," through August 2012.