443-984-2000
Registering for middle school means choosing the school that's right for you. Your Choice Matters! For 6th to 8th grade, students can attend a neighborhood (zoned) school or choose a citywide school/program.
Email: Enrollment@bcps.k12.md.us
Phone: 410.396.8600
Walk-In Hours: Monday/Wednesday/Friday (10am – 2pm)
Middle School families (SY2022-23): City Schools is in the process of finalizing recovery recommendations for our Middle & High School Choice process. Additional information will be released Summer/Fall 2021.
Middle School families (SY2021-22): New families entering the district will be able to start the enrollment process on July 1. Current families seeking an intra-district transfer will be able to request transfer consideration, beginning July 19.
Please note that at the middle school level, out-of-zone enrollments and intra-district transfer requests to out-of-zone schools MUST receive prior approval by district office staff. The Office of Enrollment, Choice, and Transfers is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (10 am to 2 pm) for families. Zoned enrollments can be approved by the Enrollment Official at the neighborhood (zoned) school.
Important Dates*
- July 1: Enrollment window opens for new families entering City Schools (All grade levels)
- July 19 – August 20: Transfer window opens for families requesting consideration for intra-district transfer or out-of-zone school placement
- August 30: First day of school (SY2021-22) for ALL students
*All dates are subject to change.
Registration
- Browse and compare schools that might be right for your child and family. You can consider your neighborhood school or charter schools located across the city.
- Gather and upload (Online application)/deliver (ECT walk-in) the required documents (see below). Note that if you are interested in applying for a school with entrance criteria, you will also need to submit results from the PARCC assessment. If your school doesn't administer the PARCC, please call 410-396-8962 to schedule a time to take the i-Ready achievement tests.
- Technology access: If unable to complete the online registration process, please fill out the traditional registration form (in English or Spanish, gather/submit the form and required documents (see below) to the Office of Enrollment, Choice & Transfers (200 East North Avenue, Room 106, Baltimore, MD 21202) or any Documentation Support site – location details are forthcoming.
- Await communication from a school/district enrollment official. If you do not hear anything 3-5 days, please request a status update from the school and/or Office of Enrollment, Choice, and Transfers.
- Charter schools: Contact the school directly to ask about the registration process. (Note that the application deadline for most charter schools was February 3).
- Additional support and/or questions: Please contact the school’s enrollment official directly (school telephone #); or reach out to the district office team at enrollment@bcps.k12.md.us or 410-396-8600.
- Don't live in Baltimore City?
Different middle school options, different ways to enroll
Placement
For students with specific needs — for example, those returning to school after dropping out or those with special needs that can't be met in a general education setting — the district offers alternative placements. Contact the Enrollment, Choice, and Transfers department at 410-396-8600 for information and assistance.
Neighborhood schools
If your child goes to a neighborhood elementary/middle school and you want your child to stay at the school through 8th grade, you're all set. Your child is automatically enrolled at your school.
If you're new to the district and would like to enroll your child in a middle school close to your home, find your neighborhood school and stop by to find out what you need to register.
Feeder schools
A few neighborhood elementary schools are "feeder" schools for nearby schools with middle grades. This means that 5th-grade students at the neighborhood elementary school are automatically enrolled in a nearby school for 6th grade. Check with your neighborhood school for more details.
Charter schools
Most charter schools have a different admissions process. Contact the school for information.
Middle school choice
All 5th-grade students can choose their school for 6th grade — and those whose school does not have middle grades and does not feed to another school must fill out the choice application. Options include elementary/middle schools with special academic programming, schools that serve only grades 6 to 8, and combined middle/high schools.
The school choice application is typically due in January. To help students and families figure out what schools might be right for them, there are open houses and a school choice fair every fall, and a "school choice liaison" at every elementary school can answer questions.
Some middle school programs have academic entrance criteria — meaning you need to do well in 4th and 5th grades to be accepted. (Entrance criteria include results on a standardized test; final 4th-grade results in math, English language arts, social studies, and science; first-quarter 5th-grade results in those subjects; and first-quarter 5th-grade attendance.)
Here are some tips to make sure you keep options open and are ready to make the best choice for you.
3rd grade:
- Join after-school clubs so you’ll have lots of different experiences and can find out what you like best
- Think about your talents and what interests you most
- Visit middle and high school websites
- Talk to friends, neighbors, and family members about where they go to school
- Find out about special programs like TWIGS, Ingenuity Project, Gateway to Technology, and gifted and advanced learning, and what’s required for each one
4th grade:
- Talk with the choice liaison at your school about options for middle grades
- Think more about your interests and talents and what kind of school would work best for you
- Go to open houses at different types of schools, so you can see the range of options available
- Stay focused on doing well, so you’ll meet requirements for special programs
5th grade:
- Narrow down your choices by visiting schools you’re interested in, going to the school choice fair, and talking to current students, parents, and staff members
- Stay focused on doing well, so you’ll meet requirements for special programs
- For the Ingenuity Project, register for the test; for charter schools, make sure you know the application deadlines
- Meet with your choice liaison to get your questions answered and for help with your choice application
