Pre-Kindergarten Options and Qualifications

Frederick County Public Schools is committed to providing a variety of early childhood programs based upon the diverse needs of our families and students. 

FCPS is proud to offer the following programs for Four Year Old Pre-K Students

Traditional Pre-K: This program is intended for students who are four by September 1st. This is a full-day general education program based on income eligibility requirements. Class sizes are approximately 20 students. Transportation is provided for those attending their residential school (school location by address).

Innovative Pre-K: This program is intended for students who are four by September 1st. This is a full-day general education program based on income eligibility requirements. Class sizes are approximately 20 students. This program is unique in the fact that it is offered at the feeder high school location and works in conjunction with the high school Child Development course. Students gather as a class at their enrolled elementary school and are then bussed to their partner high school site. Students are returned to their enrolled elementary school for dismissal.

Inclusion Pre-K (four year olds): This program is intended for students who are four by September 1st. This is a full-day inclusive preschool education program where half the student population has an identified disability and half of the student population is selected to serve as a peer role model. Students are placed via an IEP Meeting (students with specialized needs) or via income eligibility requirements. Class sizes are approximately 16 students. Transportation is provided for those attending their residential school (school location by address) and those requiring specialized transportation per their IEP. 

For Additional information regarding transportation, please see FCPS Policy 441.

The FCPS Pre-Kindergarten programs are state-funded programs for children who meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Child must be four years old on or before September 1st of the current school year
  • Child must reside in Frederick County
  • Children whose families qualify up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline (new)

FCPS is proud to offer the following program for Three Year Old Pre-K Students

Inclusion Pre-K (three year olds): This program is intended for students who are three by September 1st. This is a half-day inclusive preschool education program where half the student population has an identified disability and half of the student population is selected to serve as a peer role model. Students are placed via an IEP Meeting (students with specialized needs) or via income eligibility requirements.  Students attend Monday-Friday  for 2.5 hour class sessions. There are no classes on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month for all 3 year old students. Class sizes are approximately 14 students. Transportation is provided by families and those requiring specialized transportation per their IEP. There are no options for bus transportation for peers.  

The FCPS Pre-Kindergarten programs are state-funded programs for children who meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Child must be three years old on or before September 1st of the current school year
  • Child must reside in Frederick County
  • Children whose families qualify up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline (new)

Additional Four and  Three Year Old Pre-K Program Options

Additional state funded Pre-K seats for 3 and 4-year-olds are available at The Learning Bee. For additional information please see their website located at https://thelearningbee.com/.

For families who may not meet income eligibility requirements for FCPS Pre-K programs, and for those interested in additional private preschool programs throughout Frederick County, Maryland Family Network offers a free service  to help locate options which may meet your preschool or childcare needs. Some families may qualify for Childcare Scholarships offered through Maryland State Department of Education. For additional information and eligibility criteria, please visit their website.

Do All Elementary Schools Host a Pre-K Program?

Since Pre-K is not a mandatory grade level for all students in Maryland, the program is not available in every Frederick County elementary school. Elementary schools without a Pre-K  program are paired with a nearby school that offers a program. Please see the Paired School List for current Pre-K sites within FCPS.

If you are unsure of your child's home school, you may locate it using the boundary map.

What are the Qualifications for Acceptance into a  Pre-K Program?

By definition, Pre-K Programs are designed to serve students who meet income eligibility requirements and/or qualify for classroom special education services based upon their IEP. The following chart is used to determine eligibility for the various Pre-K programs within FCPS. Please note: income verification is required and verified before seats are awarded.

Pre-k flowchart

Flowchart:

  • All students who are three or four years old by September 1st are eligible to apply to Pre-K Programs within FCPS. Please note: application submissions do not equate to acceptance.
  • Families applying for Pre-K must provide annual income verification, proof of residency, and birth date verification documents. If these are not submitted, an application will not be considered.
  • Centralized Enrollment Specialists will use the Federal Poverty Guidelines to determine Pre-K Eligibility
    • Students falling between 0-300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines qualify for Pre-K Programs. Income reporting will be verified.
    • Students falling between 301-600% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines may apply to Pre-K Programs to be placed on a waiting list. Spaces not filled by income-eligible students will be filled by waiting list candidates between September 1st & October 1st. Income reporting will be verified.

Note: Read more about the Pre-Kindergarten Application Process.

Contact Information

Should you have have additional questions, please contact the Early Childhood Office via phone at 240-236-5ECE (5323) or email at PreKEnrollment@fcps.org.