Pre-Kindergarten Program

The overall goal of the Pre-K program is to help children develop and maintain the basic skills necessary to be successful in school. QACPS provides Pre-K for all economically disadvantaged and homeless students that reach age four by September 1 in accordance with COMAR requirements. After the initial enrollment of these children, remaining vacancies are filled by children who exhibit a lack of readiness in one or more of the following areas: personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematical and scientific thinking, social studies, the arts, and physical development and health. 

Children enrolled in Pre-K learn to:

• Interact with people, places, and things in appropriate ways
• Use a variety of modes to express experiences and thoughts and interpret messages
• Engage in information-seeking behaviors
• Develop confidence in oneself
• Integrate prior knowledge in the learning process
• Use movement and play in the learning process
• Acquire positive, effective social habits

Children who will be four years old on or before September 1 and who reside in Queen Anne’s County are eligible to apply for the Pre-K program. 

Parents will need to bring their child with them to the school during the application process. An academic screening assessment is given to each child applying for Pre-K. Information from the screening will be used to help determine each child’s level of school readiness.

On the day of your appointment, please bring the following documents:

• Child’s birth certificate
• Child’s completed Immunization and Health Inventory forms
• Lead testing form
• Proof of Residency (one of the following)
  • Electric, gas, or water bill, or
  • Property tax/real estate bill, or
  • Lease or rental agreement, or
  • Contract of sale (including settlement or mortgage statement), or
  • Homeowners/Renters insurance statement/policy

If claiming income-eligibility, a form will be completed during the application process. You will need to bring one of the following:

• Copies of the last three pay stubs of everyone working in the home, or
• W-2, or
• FSP/TCA case number and letter of approval, or
• Verification of an older sibling already enrolled in the FARMs program

Notification of Enrollment

Notification of enrollment in pre-kindergarten will occur on or before July 1st, in writing from the Supervisor of Instruction for Early Learning and Elementary programs. If there are remaining vacancies in the Pre-K program, parents of students not enrolled in the first round will be notified during the month of August.

Pre-K Registration Dates for the 2022 – 2023 School Year

Blended Pre-K for 3 year olds and 4 year olds at CES and KIES

Forms

Pre-K Income Eligibility Form

Spanish Pre-K Income Eligibility Form

Health & Vaccine Form 

Physical Exam Form

Lead Testing Form 

Proof of Residency 

Prior Care Form

Maryland Early Learning Standards

Programs for Pre-School Children

Maryland School Guide – English

Maryland School Guide – Spanish

Cheryl Cox, Supervisor, Early Childhood
Queen Anne’s County Board of Education
202 Chesterfield Avenue
Centreville, MD 21617
(410) 758-2403, Ext. 197
cheryl.cox@qacps.org