4-Year-Old Prekindergarten Mixed Delivery (Instrucción mixta de pre-kínder de 4 años)

Five small children smiling together in front of a classroom whiteboard

Dear Families,

Please be advised that the Prekindergarten applications for the 2024-2025 school year are now closed. Applications for the 2025-2026 school year will be accepted starting on May 6, 2025, at 5:00 PM. We encourage you to mark your calendars for the upcoming application period.

AACPS is required to offer prekindergarten enrollment to families who qualify under the priority enrollment qualifications set forth in Blueprint for Maryland's Future. These qualifications are:

  • Household income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines or families experiencing homelessness.

  • Children with disabilities (with an active IEP/IFSP) and students whose primary home language is not English total household income must be at or below 600% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Once families that qualify for priority enrollment are offered a seat in the program, if space remains, AACPS will offer seats to families whose household income is 301%-360% of the FPL.

Children enrolling in 4-Year-Old Prekindergarten must be 4-years-old on or by September 1, 2025. The first step for applying to our 4-Year-Old Prekindergarten is to complete the online application. Registration must be done by a parent or legal guardian. No additional documentation is uploaded with the application.  After your application is reviewed, which could take several weeks, and seats remain after enrollment of students in the above categories, schools may enroll students with other readiness needs at the beginning of October.  When offered a seat in the program, families applying for prekindergarten must provide:

  • Proof of identification of the person submitting enrollment documentation (must be a parent or legal guardian)

    • The student’s original birth certificate or birth record.

    • A copy of the student’s immunization record.

    • Two proofs of residency (rental or mortgage agreement and current utility bill).

    • Custody order (if applicable).

Additionally, families must verify their income eligibility when offered a seat by submitting one of the following:

  • Federal Income Tax Return (1040 statement) along with documentation related to other sources of income such as child support and/or rental income for each adult in the household

  • Current award letter for Temporary Cash Assistance

  • Current award letter for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

  • Documentation for foster care

  • McKinney-Vento Program Enrollment Form

Income Eligibility for Prekindergarten (2025–2026 School Year)
Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) will use the 2024 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines to determine income eligibility for prekindergarten programs for the 2025–2026 school year. This policy aligns with requirements set by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to ensure consistency and equity in access to early childhood education opportunities in Maryland.  


Information about the recommended immunizations for children entering school is available at the CDC Vaccine site.

Families with further questions or individual concerns can contact the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Early Childhood Office at earlychildhood@aacps.org.

For more resources visit AACPS's Family Academy Early Childhood & Elementary School page, or Educación Temprana y Primaria (español).