Portsmouth Public Schools (PPS) has been named the 2026 School District of the Year by Jumpstart, a national early education organization that provides language and literacy programming for preschool children.

Jumpstart created and oversees the “Read for the Record” event each year, which, according to Jumpstart, is the world’s largest shared reading experience, uniting millions to read the same book on the same day and raise awareness of early literacy.

In the Jumpstart announcement of the award, PPS was lauded for its year-long commitment to literacy in classrooms. Specifically, the division’s “Symphony of Stories” initiative to support Read for the Record was highlighted. For this work, more than 160 PPS teachers helped ensure all the division’s elementary schools together read the book, See Marcus Grow, by author Marcus Bridgewater.

“We know the critical value literacy plays in our students’ educational journeys,” said Dr. Elie Bracy, III, PPS superintendent. “This honor showcases the tireless work of our Department of Curriculum and Instruction and, specifically, its Office of Elementary English. The team has been both strategic and intentional to find fun and engaging ways to connect our students with opportunities to build their reading and comprehension skills. I look forward to many similarly successful initiatives to come.”

In receiving the District of the Year award, students were able to have a virtual reading experience with Bridgewater before the end of the school year. In addition, PPS will receive first access to the 2027 Read for the Record book selection.