Baltimore City Public Schools -

For 6th to 8th grade, students can attend a neighborhood school or choose a citywide school or program.

• 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. 

• Complete the registration form for your selected school, which is available online and accessible via computer, tablet, or mobile device. 

• Gather and upload the required documents (see below). 

• Await communication from a school/district enrollment official 

• Charter schools:  Contact the school directly to ask about the registration process. (Note that the application deadline for most charter schools is Monday, February 2nd). 

• 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.  

• For additional support or questions, please contact the school’s enrollment official directly at the school's telephone number or reach out to the district office team at enrollment@bcps.k12.md.us or 410-396-8600. 

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. Please refer to the application timeline and steps outlined on our School Choice webpage.

To help students and families determine which schools might be the right fit for them, there are open houses and a school choice fair held every fall. Additionally, a "school choice liaison" is available at every elementary school to answer questions.

Here are some tips to ensure you keep options open and are prepared 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 that 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 school's Choice Liaison to get your questions answered and for help with your choice application

Composite scores are needed for students applying to schools and programs with entrance criteria.  

Composite scores are calculated using grades and standardized test scores. The Spring 2025 MCAP assessment scores will be used for students participating in School Choice this year.

To calculate the final overall grade average used in the composite score calculation, we will look at three factors:

1. General overall grade point average:

   1. This year's first-quarter grades. (4th grade) and

   2. ​​​​​​Last year's final grades. (5th grade)

   3. Only the core subjects (English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies) are used in the grade calculation.

2. English & Language Arts MCAP assessment score

3. Math MCAP assessment score

Please check our School Choice webpage for the most updated versions of application guides, timelines, and information for the Annual School Choice Fair.

Additional support to families is available by district staff in the Office of Enrollment, Choice, and Transfers (Enrollment@bcps.k12.md.us) and Multilingual Enrollment and Support Center (MESC@bcps.k12.md.us)

Students who are Multilingual Learners (ML) can participate fully in the choice process. 

Some schools that participate in middle or high school choice are ML 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. Additional support to families is available from district staff in the Multilingual Enrollment and Support Center (MESC@bcps.k12.md.us).