Parent Resources

General Guardianship Requirements

School-age students must be living with a birth parent or court-appointed legal guardian in Prince George’s County to be eligible for admission into Prince George’s County Public Schools.  

If you are not the parent or court-appointed legal guardian of the student, please inquire about Informal Kinship Care by contacting the Kinship Care Committee at pasb.kinship@pgcps.org.

Suspended or expelled students

If the student is currently suspended/expelled from a school, contact the Office of Appeals, at 301-952-6195.

Homeschooled students

If the student was last homeschooled, learn how to return or enter PGCPS

Prekindergarten / Kindergarten

To be eligible for kindergarten a child must be five years old on/before September 1. To be eligible for prekindergarten, a child must be four years old on/before September 1 and income-eligible.

Early Entrance into Prekindergarten/Kindergarten

Prince George’s County has procedures and guidelines for early entrance.  Only children who become age-eligible between September 2 and October 15, are eligible to apply.  The deadline for current county residents to apply for early entrance June 1.  For more information please contact Early Learning Programs at 240-724-1924.

International Students

Please take the following Pre-Enrollment Survey to ensure you are adequately prepared for registration.

1. What language does the student use most often to communicate?
2. What language(s) did the student first learn to speak?
3. What language(s) are spoken in your home?
4. Are you transferring from a school or location outside the United States?
5. Has the student previously received ESOL services or been enrolled in an ESOL program?

If the language indicated is not English and/or you answered YES to more than one of the above questions, please contact the International Student Admissions and Enrollment at 301-445-8460. 

The enrolling birth parent/court-appointed guardian and the student must be physically residing in Prince George’s County. Students are expected to attend the school assigned to their home address.

To find your neighborhood school please visit the PGCPS School Finder.

All parents registering in Prince George’s County Public Schools must have the following:

• Government Issued Photo Identification for the parent/legal guardian.
• Original Proof of Birth for the Student with seal and parents name listed.
• Health-Related Documents
• Proof of Residency
• Affidavit of Disclosure (New Students to the County)

Additional documentation may be required depending on individual circumstances including students who do not reside with their parents , students who previously attended school, and students not enrolling in their neighborhood school.

Documentation Details

The ID must match the name on the birth certificate/guardianship papers. Presentation of photo ID does not qualify as proof of residence. If the mother's name does not match the birth cetificate, please provide supporting documentation of the the change, i.e. marriage certificate.

B. Original Proof of Birth for the Student with seal and parents name listed.

• Birth Certificate/Live Certificate of Birth
• Hospital Certificate
• Physician’s Certificate
• Baptismal or Church Certificate
• Passport / Visa (ONLY if the student first reported to and was approved by the International Student Counseling Office (ISCO) at 301-445-8460.)

C. Letter of Approval for Informal Kinship Care/Waiver of Tuition (if applicable)

If a student is not residing with their parent/legal guardian, that individual must either pay tuition to attend school, obtain legal court-appointed guardianship, or apply for a tuition waiver/kinship care arrangement.  (Issued by the Kinship Care Committtee at pasb.kinship@pgcps.org) A child may not be registered on a notarized statement giving guardianship. 

D. Health-Related Documents

Immunization record -The immunizations required before children can be admitted to school are diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough – for children through age 6), tetanus, polio, rubeola (measles), rubella (3-day measles), mumps, and children in preschool through grade 10 must have varicella (chickenpox) and hepatitis B vaccines.

Regulations are as follows:

1. Require two doses of rubeola (measles) vaccine for kindergarten – twelfth-grade students, with both doses given on or after the first birthday and separated by at least 30 days. One dose, given after the first birthday, is required for prekindergarten students;
2. Require one dose of mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccines given on or after the first birthday. Physician documented history of chickenpox disease is acceptable in lieu of vaccination;
3. Require Haemophilus influenza (HIB) and Prevnar (PCV7) vaccines for children in preschool programs.

Physical Examination - A physical examination is recommended for each child entering the Maryland Public School System for the first time. The examination must be performed within the period of nine months before school entry to six months after entry. The form is available at each school or can be accessed from the Office of School Health page.

Lead Screening Certificate -All newly enrolled students in prekindergarten through first grade must submit a form DHMH 4620 documenting that:

1. Blood lead testing was done; OR
2. The child has never lived in a targeted ZIP Code; OR
3. The parent has a religious objection to the testing

The documented tests should be at 12 months and 24 months of age. Two test results are required if the first test was done prior to 24 months of age. If the first test is done after 24 months of age, one test result is required. If there is a religious objection to the blood test, a Lead Risk Assessment must be administered by a health care provider. The form is available at each school or can be accessed from the School Health page.

E. Last Report Card/Transcript (for students previously attending school)

School records and original transcripts are required of secondary students and recommended for elementary students. Recent periods of non-school attendance must be accounted for.

F. Approval letter/documentation if NOT enrolling in the neighborhood school (when applicable)

Parents/guardians who would like to transfer their child from their neighborhood school to another PGCPS school may submit a transfer request during the open student transfer season which usually occurs in spring. Transfer requests to schools with enrollment that exceeds state-rated capacity will not be considered. Bus transportation is not provided for transfer students. Contact the Office of Student Records, Transfers and Archival Services, at 301-567-8751, for additional information.

G. Proof of Residency

Prince George’s County Public Schools reserves the right to investigate residency at any time without notification or consent whenever the authenticity of proofs are in question.  Falsification or misrepresentation of residency documents is considered fraud and may result in sanctions, including the charging of back tuition, the immediate withdrawal of the student from the school system with no credits awarded, and the pursuit of criminal and civil charges.

Parents must notify their child’s school when their home address changes and provide proof of their new residence. If families move out of Prince George’s County, children are no longer eligible to attend Prince George’s County Public Schools and will be withdrawn. If families move out of the current school’s attendance area, children are no longer eligible to attend the school and will be withdrawn.

Proof of residence may be established by a combination of the following documents:

Primary Proof of Residency

• Settlement papers
• Lease/rental agreement*
• Deed of property
• Current mortgage statement
• Current tax assessment bill.  

All documents must be originals.  Settlement papers and lease/rental agreements must be signed and dated by all parties. 

*Private party leases must be notarized or a notarized letter from the landlord must be provided with the original lease. 

If there are concerns about the residence, if the original term of the lease has expired, or if the ownership information is more than one year old, two additional documents of recent mail (listed below) will be required.

All additional documents must be originals, not copies.  These documents must be delivered by US Postal mail and may include the following:

Secondary Proof of Residency

• non-cell phone bill
• utility bill
• credit card statement
• bank statement
• Mail from government agencies for official correspondence (excluding PGCPS)
• Hospital bill
• Auto, home, or health insurance policies

Copies of online documents are not acceptable as proof of residence with the exception of an electronic commercial lease accompanied by an original letter from the property manager, current monthly mortgage statements, utility bills, credit card and/or bank statements

For married couples where one spouse is the sole property owner/lessee, the property ownership/lessee documentation along with a marriage certificate and official mail of the registering spouse can be used for registration.

If you are unable to provide two proofs of residency in your name or are currently building/purchasing a home and moving into Prince George’s County prior to the end of the first quarter, contact the Office of Pupil Accounting at 301-952-6300.

Shared Housing Affidavit (if applicable)

If the family is living in the residence of a relative or a friend, a notarized Shared Housing Affidavit (Declaración Jurada de Residencia Compartida), signed by both parties detailing the living arrangement, is required.

• The relative or friend, with whom the parents reside, must show their primary proof of residency as listed in Part G.
• The parent registering the child must present official mail (secondary proof of residency listed in Part G) to the school within 30 days of enrollment.
• Shared housing affidavit and mail must be updated each school year to reflect a date no earlier than June proceeding the opening of the next school year

Parents should be advised that the school system reserves the right to monitor this type of proof periodically or as needed. The documents must be originals, not copies.

NOTE: A notarized Shared Housing Affidavit should only be used when the parent/guardian and the student are living with relatives or friends and is completed on an annual basis.  Additional items including recent mail may be required if there are concerns regarding the proof of residence, if the original term of the lease has expired, or if the ownership information of the relative/friends more than one-year-old.

To complete enrollment,

Submit your registration documents online

or

visit your student's assigned school.