443-984-2000
For 6th to 8th grade, students can attend a neighborhood school or choose a citywide school or program.
If you are a resident of Baltimore but do not currently attend a Baltimore City public school or if you are nonresident of Baltimore City, you may use the Updated Choice application to apply to a Baltimore City public middle or high school. Proof of student identity (i.e. birth certificate), two proofs of residency (i.e. lease agreement, mortgage statement, utility bill) and copies of report cards must be attached to the application form and submitted to the Office of Enrollment, Choice and Transfer, 200 E. North Ave., Room 106, Baltimore, MD 21202, by April 21, 2023. You may also visit the Office of Enrollment, Choice and Transfer starting June 26th to request other placement options for the 23-24 school year.
For families who missed the original choice application deadline or want to try to apply to a different school than the one they were placed in, we offer a second round of choice.
Fill out the Updated Choice application and either mail it to 200 E. North Ave, Enrollment Choice and Transfers, Baltimore, MD 21202 or email it. If you do not have access to download, print, or email the updated application, please call 410-396-8600.
The deadline to fill out the updated choice application is April 21st. Decision letters will be mailed out after May 19th. If families do not fill out a choice application, students will be assigned a school.
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.
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:
4th grade:
5th grade:
Students who are in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs can participate fully in the choice process.
Some schools that participate in middle or high school choice are ESOL sites; however, services are adjusted as necessary to ensure all English learners are able to participate fully in the choice process.
For more information, contact the school counselor or choice liaison at your school.