The application process begins today for the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) prekindergarten program for the 2020-21 school year. Students must be 4 years old by Sept. 1 to be eligible for prekindergarten. Admission is based on criteria and guidelines set by the Maryland State Department of Education and is not guaranteed.
Due to the school closure mandate in place, CCPS is currently closed through April 24. During the closure, all prekindergarten applications for new families, as well as current CCPS families, must be completed through the online registration system. The system is available at https://www.ccboe.com/index.php/online-registration. CCPS staff are monitoring all incoming applications. Parents in need of support with the online application process can email OLRsupport@ccboe.com for assistance. When schools reopen, CCPS will accept applications at schools.
Parents with students already enrolled in CCPS can complete the application for another child using an active ParentVue account. Click here to access the ParentVue login page. An Online Registration tab is active in the upper right-hand corner of all active ParentVue accounts Click the tab to begin the prekindergarten application process.
Parents new to CCPS must first create a ParentVue account to register online using a valid email address. Click here to start the ParentVue registration process. Parents will need to determine through School Locator what school their child is zoned to attend. School Locator is posted at https://www.ccboe.com/index.php/school-locator.
New users must select “create new account” from the more options menu area (located underneath the word Login). The online application process requires users to upload document copies and/or images of required documents. A CCPS staff member will review all online registrations for required information.
Placement in prekindergarten is based on student need in the following categories. The prekindergarten application process is not first come, first served. The order in which applications are submitted has no bearing on approval status.
Category one (guaranteed admission) – children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals (verified through three recent paycheck stubs for an income earner in the household); qualify for homeless status or foster care (CCPS staff will verify); or receive food supplements (parent/guardian must provide food supplement eligibility letter including dates and names of household members).
Category two (next priority level, admission is not guaranteed and student must meet one or more criteria) – family income falls within 10 percent of the limit for category one; child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for speech/articulation; child speaks another language at home; child participated in Head Start within the past 12 months; or child has certain family circumstances (elderly guardian, parent has diagnosed chronic illness that impacts his/her ability to care for the child, or parent is/will be deployed for six months or more).
Category three – children who are not eligible for categories one or two whose parents/families want them to be considered for admission if vacancies exist. Vacancies are determined after all category one and category two placements are made. Admission is not guaranteed for category three applicants. Category three applicants will be placed on the waiting list in order by their birthdate with the oldest children being placed first if vacancies exist, beginning with September birth dates.
Category two and three applications received after Aug. 30, 2020, will be placed at the end of the waiting list.
Category one applications received between March 30 and June 15 will be processed upon receipt, and families will be notified within two weeks of submitting a completed application. Both category two and category three applicants will be notified of program admission at a later date, possibly after the start of the 2020-21 school year.
In order to comply with state regulations for prekindergarten class size, eligible category one students will be placed at their zoned home school until the class reaches capacity. Eligible category one students who apply after the home school class is full will be offered placement at another school, but parents will have to provide transportation.
CCPS requires several documents to register a child for school. A list of required materials is posted at https://www.ccboe.com/index.php/online-registration.
Please note: due to the stay at home directive set forth by Gov. Hogan, staff are not currently available at schools and centers to assist with the application process. Families unable to upload documents or complete other parts of the application online may start the process now and finish and submit it in the future. Parents can take pictures of the required documents and upload them through the online application. Applications cannot be processed until all required documents are uploaded.
Additionally, until the school closure ends staff are not available at schools or the CCPS Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building to respond to questions over the phone or messages left on voicemails. Questions about early childhood education programs can be directed to Beth Sorsby, CCPS specialist in early childhood education, at bsorsby@ccboe.com.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,521 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
Due to the school closure mandate in place, CCPS is currently closed through April 24. During the closure, all prekindergarten applications for new families, as well as current CCPS families, must be completed through the online registration system. The system is available at https://www.ccboe.com/index.php/online-registration. CCPS staff are monitoring all incoming applications. Parents in need of support with the online application process can email OLRsupport@ccboe.com for assistance. When schools reopen, CCPS will accept applications at schools.
Parents with students already enrolled in CCPS can complete the application for another child using an active ParentVue account. Click here to access the ParentVue login page. An Online Registration tab is active in the upper right-hand corner of all active ParentVue accounts Click the tab to begin the prekindergarten application process.
Parents new to CCPS must first create a ParentVue account to register online using a valid email address. Click here to start the ParentVue registration process. Parents will need to determine through School Locator what school their child is zoned to attend. School Locator is posted at https://www.ccboe.com/index.php/school-locator.
New users must select “create new account” from the more options menu area (located underneath the word Login). The online application process requires users to upload document copies and/or images of required documents. A CCPS staff member will review all online registrations for required information.
Placement in prekindergarten is based on student need in the following categories. The prekindergarten application process is not first come, first served. The order in which applications are submitted has no bearing on approval status.
Category one (guaranteed admission) – children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals (verified through three recent paycheck stubs for an income earner in the household); qualify for homeless status or foster care (CCPS staff will verify); or receive food supplements (parent/guardian must provide food supplement eligibility letter including dates and names of household members).
Category two (next priority level, admission is not guaranteed and student must meet one or more criteria) – family income falls within 10 percent of the limit for category one; child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for speech/articulation; child speaks another language at home; child participated in Head Start within the past 12 months; or child has certain family circumstances (elderly guardian, parent has diagnosed chronic illness that impacts his/her ability to care for the child, or parent is/will be deployed for six months or more).
Category three – children who are not eligible for categories one or two whose parents/families want them to be considered for admission if vacancies exist. Vacancies are determined after all category one and category two placements are made. Admission is not guaranteed for category three applicants. Category three applicants will be placed on the waiting list in order by their birthdate with the oldest children being placed first if vacancies exist, beginning with September birth dates.
Category two and three applications received after Aug. 30, 2020, will be placed at the end of the waiting list.
Category one applications received between March 30 and June 15 will be processed upon receipt, and families will be notified within two weeks of submitting a completed application. Both category two and category three applicants will be notified of program admission at a later date, possibly after the start of the 2020-21 school year.
In order to comply with state regulations for prekindergarten class size, eligible category one students will be placed at their zoned home school until the class reaches capacity. Eligible category one students who apply after the home school class is full will be offered placement at another school, but parents will have to provide transportation.
CCPS requires several documents to register a child for school. A list of required materials is posted at https://www.ccboe.com/index.php/online-registration.
Please note: due to the stay at home directive set forth by Gov. Hogan, staff are not currently available at schools and centers to assist with the application process. Families unable to upload documents or complete other parts of the application online may start the process now and finish and submit it in the future. Parents can take pictures of the required documents and upload them through the online application. Applications cannot be processed until all required documents are uploaded.
Additionally, until the school closure ends staff are not available at schools or the CCPS Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building to respond to questions over the phone or messages left on voicemails. Questions about early childhood education programs can be directed to Beth Sorsby, CCPS specialist in early childhood education, at bsorsby@ccboe.com.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,521 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.