The first day of school is less than a month away, and as part of their Back2BCPS: Are You Ready? Campaign, Baltimore County Public Schools leaders are urging parents/caregivers to register their children now.
“We want to see every BCPS student in class and ready to learn on Monday, Aug. 30,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “Parents and caregivers of children who will be new to our schools – including parents of Preschool, PreKindergarten, and Kindergarten students – are encouraged to register their children now. Registering before the school year starts ensures that schools can be better prepared to welcome and educate all students.”
To register, parents/caregivers can submit an online application through the Focus Parent Portal. Parents/caregivers can learn more about using the Focus Parent Portal by viewing an informational video. The password for the video is “Baltimore.”
After entering information online, parents/caregivers will be contacted by their child’s school to finalize enrollment. Additional assistance is available by emailing RegistrationHelp@bcps.org or contacting a school.
To enroll in Kindergarten, children must be 5 years old by September 1.
To be considered for PreKindergarten, students must be 4 years old on or before September 1. Unlike enrollment for K-12, seats are limited in the PreKindergarten program. The Maryland State Department of Education requires that the PreKindergarten program be made available to students who meet automatic eligibility criteria based on educational or financial need. If space is available once the automatically eligible students have registered, other students may be placed from the applicant pool on a priority basis.
For Preschool, students must be 3 years old on or before September 1 to be considered for enrollment. As with PreKindergarten, Preschool seats are limited. Students are registered on a priority basis, with priority registration given to those students who demonstrate educational and/or financial need.
