HCPSS’ Pre-K Program
HCPSS offers high-quality half-day and full-day prekindergarten programs. Students must be four years old by September 1, 2025 to be considered for enrollment in the 2025-2026 school year. The comprehensive curriculum, taught by certified staff, supports early learning and school readiness and provides experiences that foster children’s academic, social, emotional and physical development.
2025-2026 School Year
Registration for the 2025-2026 school year will begin on March 10, 2025. Pre-K Applications for the 2025-2026 school year will be available beginning March 1, 2025. Interested applicants must submit a completed 2025-2026 Pre-K Application for consideration; please note that 2024-2025 applications will not be considered. Enrollment is on a first come, first served basis. Any applications submitted prior to the official opening of registration will be dated March 10, 2025.Jump to: Curriculum | Eligibility | Apply | Health Documentation | Locations | Accreditation | Contact |
Curriculum
HCPSS’ pre-k program provides a wide range of experiences and opportunities to familiarize students with the school environment and build on the child’s understanding of his or her world, while developing a readiness for school. The pre-k curriculum, which is based on recommended practices from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and guidelines for early childhood education from the Maryland State Department of Education (including alignment to the Common Core State Standards), is designed to enable children to acquire knowledge, skills and processes and apply them in meaningful real-world ways.
Eligibility Criteria
Per Policy 9000-Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment, the HCPSS Pre-K program is made available first to children who will be 4 on or before September 1 and meet first priority criteria:
- income eligible
- homelessness, and
- foster care.
Families that qualify for first priority criteria are placed first into Pre-K. Any family who meets secondary priority is first placed on the waitlist. Waitlist applicants will be considered for enrollment after the start of the school year. Students from households in which English is not the primary spoken language will receive priority for waitlist enrollment, as space allows.
For applicants on the waitlist, acceptance to the HCPSS Pre-K program is determined by the Office of Early Childhood Programs, in alignment with countywide enrollment trends and space availability. Please note that placement on the waitlist does not guarantee enrollment.
Apply
Parent(s)/guardian(s) of prospective pre-K students must apply for Pre-K and should submit their Pre-K application to HCPSS Early Childhood Programs via email (hcpss_pk@hcpss.org), including verification of household members, household income, and income documentation. Applications may also be mailed to HCPSS Early Childhood Programs or submitted to the family’s local HCPSS elementary school.
Applications must contain income documentation. Acceptance decisions are based on meeting eligibility guidelines.
Families of children who turned 4 by 9/1/24 are still eligible to apply for the current 2024-2025 school year. Please contact hcpss_pk@hcpss.org to request an application.Due to the volume of inquiries, please allow up to fourteen business days from the time of submission for processing. (Processing times may be longer based on the volume of applications received.) For faster processing, please ensure that ALL sections of your application are complete and that all required documentation is included with your application submission. Applications that are not complete or missing documents cannot be processed and will be returned.
To Enroll: Famililes accepted into the program will receive an official acceptance letter. This letter is a required piece of the online registration process and should also be used as a point of reference when making pre-k program selections throughout the online registration process.
Health Documentation
Prior to enrollment in a pre-k program, parents/guardians must complete all health documentation requirements, including a physical, evidence of immunizations and evidence of blood lead testing. Students should have a lead test before enrolling in a prekindergarten program.
Program Locations
Pre-K is available to eligible students in all attendance areas, but are only located at selected elementary school sites. Pre-K students will attend the school to which they are assigned. The student will then attend kindergarten at their regularly designated school, regardless of where they attend Pre-K.
Below is a list of HCPSS Pre-K locations. Pre-K students will attend the school to which they are assigned.
Pre-K assignments and locations are based on countywide projections. Pre-K programs and feeder locations are subject to change.
Atholton* (also serves Clemens Crossing)
410-313-6853
Bellows Spring*
410-313-5057
Bollman Bridge*
410-880-5920
Bryant Woods*
410-313-6859
Bushy Park* (also serves Lisbon)
410-313-5500
Centennial Lane* (also serves St. John’s Lane)
410-313-2800
Cradlerock*
410-313-7610
Dayton Oaks
410-313-1571
Deep Run*
410-313-5000
Ducketts Lane*
410-313-5050
Elkridge*
410-313-5006
Forest Ridge*
410-880-5950
Fulton
410-880-5957
Gorman Crossing* (also serves Hammond)
410-880-5900
Guilford*
410-880-5930
Hanover Hills*
410-313-8066
Ilchester (also serves Northfield)
410-313-2524
Jeffers Hill*
410-313-6872
Laurel Woods*
410-880-5960
Longfellow*
410-313-6879
Phelps Luck*
410-313-6886
Pointers Run (also serves Clarksville)
410-313-7142
Rockburn*
410-313-5030
Running Brook*
410-313-6893
Stevens Forest*
410-313-6900
Swansfield*
410-313-6907
Triadelphia Ridge* (also serves West Friendship)
(410) 313-2560
Talbott Springs*
410-313-6915
Veterans (also serves Thunder Hill)
410-313-1700
Waterloo*
410-313-5014
Waverly* (also serves Manor Woods)
410-313-2819
Worthington (also serves Hollifield Station)
410-313-2825
*Selected HCPSS Pre-K sites will provide a full-day program. Feeder locations are subject to change. Any updates will be posted online and communicated to impacted families.
Accreditation
As part of its fulfillment of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, all HCPSS Pre-K and MINC-PK programs are working towards the achievement of Maryland Accreditation by the end of the 2025-2026 school year. In order to achieve Maryland Accreditation, Pre-K programs are required to demonstrate through written documentation and direct observation that they meet standards in three categories: program administration; program operation; and home and community partnerships. Examples of these standards include:- Use of teaching strategies that promote an awareness and appreciation of diversity
- Opportunities to engage in play-based learning activities
- Daily writing instruction
- Independent learning opportunities allowing students to explore, investigate, experiment, and problem-solve
- Instruction based on children’s individual needs, interests, strengths and learning styles
- Engaging families and the community in all aspects of the program
To date, the following HCPSS Pre-K and MINC-PK programs have achieved Maryland Accreditation. Additional cohorts of HCPSS Pre-K and MINC-PK programs are pursuing Accreditation. All HCPSS pre-K programs are expected to achieve Accreditation by the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Maryland Accreditation is awarded for five years.
- Atholton Elementary
- Bushy Park Elementary
- Bryant Woods Elementary
- Cradlerock Elementary
- Centennial Lane Elementary
- Ducketts Lane Elementary
- Forest Ridge Elementary
- Elkridge Elementary
- Gorman Crossing Elementary
- Jeffers Hill Elementary
- Laurel Woods Elementary
- Phelps Luck Elementary
- Running Brook Elementary
- Stevens Forest Elementary
- Swansfield Elementary
- Talbott Springs Elementary
- Triadelphia Ridge Elementary
Contact
For more information about HCPSS Pre-K, contact the Office of Early Childhood Programs at 410-313-6836.
Families who require interpreter services can contact the following call center lines for assistance:
- Centro de Llamadas – 410-313-1591
- 콜 센터 – 410-313-1592
- 电话服务中心 – 410-313-5920
- BIAKCHAWNHKHAWHNAK HMUN – 410-313-5968
All other registration questions can be answered by calling the Multilingual Family Registration Center at 410-313-1297 or 410-313-1525.