The following communication was sent to families on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 5 p.m.:

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

During the most recent legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly moved the date of the primary election for the State of Maryland. As a result, the primary elections will be held on May 14, 2023, instead of April 23, 2024. 

The Board of Education of Harford County (BOE) originally approved the 2023-2024 school year calendar at the Board of Education Business Meeting on December 19, 2022. As a result of the election date change, the BOE voted on Monday, May 22, 2023, to make the following adjustment to the 2023-2024 school year calendar: 

HCPS schools and offices will be open on April 23, 2024, and schools and offices will be closed on May 14, 2024, to allow our schools to to function as polling places for the election.

Calendar information can be found here. 

Thank you, 
Jillian Lader 
Manager of Communications 
Harford County Public Schools 

1. First and Last name / if speaker is a Group Representative, then please state the name of the Group
2. Local Address             
3. Email Address
4. Phone Number
5. Agenda item or subject your Public Comment pertains to
6. Will you provide in-person or virtual Public Comment
7. Registration forms are limited to one (1) per person

• Registered virtual speakers will receive an email from HCPS with a Call-in Phone # and a Conference ID #.
• Registered speakers are required to call-in and enter the conference ID# at 6:30 PM on Monday, May 22, 2023. 
• Important:  If you are unable to take your phone off mute, you may need to dial *6.
• If you are admitted from the virtual lobby to the meeting, you will be greeted by an HCPS staff member when it is time to begin your public comment.  Expected hold time in the virtual lobby may vary based on number of registered speakers.  The maximum wait time in the lobby is 30 minutes; should you be disconnected please call back.
• "Request to Appear Before the Board" cards will be available for in-person attendees prior to the Board Meeting for sign-up and must be submitted prior to the opening of the meeting. 

• Each speaker shall be limited to no more than three (3) minutes and five (5) minutes for individuals representing groups.  Speakers must state his or her name, and, if representing a group, must identify the group he or she represents.  If a speaker identifies themselves as a representative of a group, then only one (1) representative from the group may provide comment for the identified group.

• The Board presiding officer may reduce the amount of time allocated to each speaker if allocating 3 minutes to each speaker will impede the Board’s ability to complete scheduled business.

• The Board will receive in-person public comment first and virtual public comment second. The Board expects that all comments will be submitted with the decorum and respect appropriate to the conduct of public business.

• Topics such as personnel matters, pending appeals, specific student disciplinary matters or which constitute commercial solicitations are not permitted.

• Disparaging comments, personal attacks, and inflammatory remarks about specific schools, personnel, any person, or group are not permitted. Speakers who engage in these comments will be reminded of the rules and the Board reserves the right to remove the speaker.  In addition, public comment is an opportunity for members of the community to address the Board of Education.  Please direct your comments to the Board and not to other members of the public in the audience.

• All public comments submitted will be part of the records maintained by the Board office.

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

Harford County Public Schools prekindergarten applications, kindergarten registration, kindergarten early entrance applications, and advanced placement to first grade applications will be available Friday, May 5, 2023. Kindergarten registration will be available to complete online on May 5. Prekindergarten applications, kindergarten early entrance applications and advanced placement to first grade applications will be available to view and print online. To submit your application, follow the directions on the cover sheet of the printed copy. Printed copies will be available at each elementary school on May 5. 

Please note, due to state law, prekindergarten and kindergarten instruction are not permitted to be virtual. This means prekindergarten and kindergarten registration is not available at Swan Creek School.  

Please share this information in your community as we try to ensure families who may not be connected to HCPS are aware that applications and registrations will be available May 5, 2023. 

Additional registration information is available here.  

Thank you, 

Jillian Lader 
Manager of Communications 
Harford County Public Schools 

As noted in the HCPS calendar, one inclement weather make up day was utilized this year. As a result, the last day of school for students in Kindergarten through 11th grade will be Thursday, June 15, 2023. The last day of school for Prekindergarten students will be on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. All instructional staff that follow the 10-month teacher schedule will participate in professional development on Friday, June 16, 2023 at their school-based location.

Please note that should any additional inclement weather days be necessary, this calendar will be updated. You can view all inclement weather make up day information on the Calendar page on hcps.org.

Good evening, 

On Monday, April 24, 2023, Superintendent Bulson and staff met with the Harford County Council at one of the Council’s budget work sessions. You can listen to the full work session here. HCPS was second on the agenda, following the Public Libraries. The HCPS discussion begins approximately at the 44-minute mark of the archived audio. The presentation used at the Council chambers is posted on the HCPS budget webpage. 

Visit the HCPS budget page for more information, including graphs, videos, and to review the Board of Education’s budget proposal. 

The Harford County Council has two upcoming budget public hearings scheduled for the FY24 County Budget on May 4 and May 10, 2023, starting at 7:00 p.m. If you are planning to attend and provide comments at these Public Hearings, the Council has noted they highly recommend signing up in advance by calling the Council Office at 410-638-3343 or emailing council@harfordcountycouncil.com. 

We will continue to provide updates as we receive new information from the county. 

Thank you, 

Jillian Lader 
Manager of Communications 
Harford County Public Schools 

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

Harford County Public Schools has launched an app for your phone that is now available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. 

The app is designed to give you a centralized, customizable, easy to navigate resource to get important HCPS information. Using the app, you will be able to check your student’s accounts like MySchoolBucks, GoFan, and School Cash Online and see what’s on the upcoming breakfast and lunch menus, learn about what is going on in our schools, access a school and staff directory, and follow us on our social media platforms. 

We encourage all our families to stay up to date with what is going on in our schools, and an easy way to do that is by downloading the app! 

To download, click here.  Or you can go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, search for Harford County Public Schools, and click on the app with the HCPS logo. 

What are you waiting for? Download the app today! 

Thank you, 
Jillian Lader 
Manager of Communications

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

To proactively ensure our website and social media platforms are accessible for those with differing abilities, we are making some changes and will continue to do so over the next several weeks and months. Most of these changes will be minor adjustments, but some may be more noticeable.  

One of the biggest changes you may notice is an alteration to our logo. To make our logo accessible to screen readers, which are technology that allows the visually impaired to garner information on a computer screen, slight adjustments are being made to the colors. This change is minor and will not be noticeable to most of the public. 

This is an ongoing project that will impact many departments in HCPS. As accessibility issues arise, staff will address them in a timely manner. 

Thank you for your patience and support as we strive to make our sites accessible to all. 

Thank you, 
Jillian Lader 
Manager of Communications 

Dear Parents and Guardians,  

As students complete registration for classes next year, we want to make you aware of an opportunity available to rising seniors that is expanding in the fall.  

The Harford Youth Workforce Investment Program is a chance for students entering grade 12 for the 2023-2024 school year to take non-credit workforce development classes through Harford Community College. Participation will provide students the opportunity to graduate with an industry-recognized certificate in their course of study.  

To be eligible for the program, students must be eligible for part-time enrollment in HCPS during their senior year. Students who enroll in a specific Workforce Investment Program will be provided transportation between their home high school and their course location two days a week to attend the class. 

Classes will be offered in the following areas: Construction, Logistics, Microsoft Office, Communications, Computer Support Technician, Helpdesk, Certified Nursing Assistant (two days a week, plus Saturdays), and Online Insurance Assistance.  

Interested students should indicate their interest during course enrollment. Staff members with CTE/Career Workforce will walk each student through the application process. 

Do you know about our Learning Together program? HCPS is looking for typically developing 3- and 4-year-old children to participate in a free, 2- or 3-half-day preschool program for the 2023-2024 school year. The purpose of the Learning Together Program is to have typically developing children learning alongside preschool children with disabilities. The program promotes social, communication, literacy, and numeracy skill development for all children.

The program is located at the following schools: Meadowvale Elementary, Havre de Grace Elementary, Edgewood Elementary, Homestead/Wakefield Elementary, Youths Benefit Elementary, and North Bend Elementary.  

Children must be at least 3-years old as of September 1, 2023 and be toilet trained.

For more information and to access the application, visit https://www.hcps.org/departments/instructionalsupport/specialeducation/learningtogether/

Please contact robyn.graham@hcps.org with any questions. 

• Step 1: Log into HCPS student device.
• Step 2: Access FEV Tutor through Clever.

• Step 3: Select “Request an On-Demand Session!”
• Step 4: Select subject area.

• Step 1: Log into HCPS student device.
• Step 2: Access FEV Tutor through Clever.

• Step 3: Schedule a tutoring session  Learn How Here
• Step 4: Select red flashing button “Your session has started, Join Now!” at your scheduled time.

Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) is pleased to announce Joppatowne High School has been approved by the Department of the Army to establish a U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program, effective February 1, 2023. Students currently in eighth grade throughout the county will be able to apply to join JROTC at Joppatowne High. Applications will be available Tuesday, January 17, 2023, through Friday, February 10, 2023, on hcps.org and in all middle school counseling offices.

Click here to watch a Parent Academy Real Talk about JROTC in HCPS!

In May 2016, the Board of Education of Harford County approved the submission of the JROTC application and the establishment of the program at Joppatowne High School. Strong support was provided from the Military Officers Association of America; Susquehanna Chapter; and numerous local, state, and federal leaders for instituting a program at Joppatowne High. Joppatowne High was the first school in the nation to offer a high school curriculum program for Homeland Security. The Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness Program is a signature curriculum that is affiliated with internships and instruction from area colleges and civil defense agencies. JROTC is an excellent addition to the program.

Harford County is the proud home of Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). APG is the largest employer in the county and is a critical US Army research, development, test, and evaluation installation. In 2017, APG and the surrounding community celebrated the 100^th anniversary of APG as a national military garrison. This year, Harford County celebrates a 250-year anniversary. Launching the JROTC program in Harford County is a great addition and way to continue to celebrate Harford County’s legacy.

This is an important message for all parents and guardians with a student in twelfth grade.

Graduation dates, times, and locations have been finalized. Visit the calendar page on hcps.org for the full schedule and visit our YouTube channel or click here to watch the latest Parent Academy Real Talk discussing graduation ceremonies this year. 

Your school will provide additional details about your schools specific graduation ceremony.