The Board of Education of Harford County will hold Engage for Education listening sessions throughout the 2025–2026 school year. The first session is Tuesday, September 30, 2025, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. in the C. Milton Wright High School auditorium.
These sessions are an opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts on the future of education in Harford County directly with Board members. No pre-registration is required to attend or speak.
More information, including how to provide feedback if you cannot attend, is available on the Engage for Education page at hcps.org.
HCPS schools will dismiss three hours early for students on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Please note: half-day Pre-K will not meet on early dismissal days. The full 2025–2026 school year calendar is available by clicking here.
https://www.hcps.org/departments/docs/curriculum/athletics/PhysicalExaminationForm.pdf
Several of our Community School Specialists joined local partners on Monday, September 15, 2025, to revitalize the community garden at Crosspoint Community Church as part of the 2025 Baltimore Ravens Caw to Action program. The event highlighted teamwork, collaboration, and the power of schools and communities working together to support students and families.
The week of September 14–20, 2025 is Community School Coordinator Week. At HCPS, our Community School Specialists play an essential role in helping students succeed. They connect families with food, clothing, and housing supports, organize school-based events and programs, and build partnerships that bring valuable resources into our schools. By removing barriers to learning, our specialists make it possible for students to focus on their education and thrive.
This week, HCPS joins schools across the country in celebrating the power of the arts in education. From music and theater to visual and digital arts, the arts inspire creativity, build confidence, and help students discover their voices.
Harford County Public Schools will host Magnet and Technical Programs Information Nights for families of 7th and 8th grade students. Each event begins at 6:00 p.m., and presentations are identical, so you only need to attend one.
Dates and Locations:
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 – Magnolia Middle & Patterson Mill Middle
Thursday, September 25, 2025 – Havre de Grace Middle & Southampton Middle
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 – Aberdeen Middle & North Harford Middle
Programs highlighted include: International Baccalaureate (IB) and Global Studies, Harford Technical High School Career Programs, IT Oracle Academy, JROTC, Natural Resources and Agricultural Science (NRAS), P-TECH, Science and Mathematics Academy (SMA), and the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM).
Click here for more information on the Harford County Public Schools Magnet and Technical Programs.
Join the Harford County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) for their monthly meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2025.
Networking begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting from 7:00–8:30 p.m.
The agenda includes a Co-Chair Election, Meet Your SECAC, and an HCPS Special Education presentation.
This meeting will be held virtually.
Click here to register.
The following is being shared with families who have Kindergarten students in HCPS, on behalf of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE):
This fall your student will take the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). The KRA is an assessment that measures a student's knowledge, skills, and abilities in literacy, mathematics, and social and emotional development. It is given to all kindergarten students enrolled in public schools in Maryland by October 10th each year. The purpose of the KRA is to provide teachers and caregivers with information about what students know and can do, as well as to identify areas where they might need additional support. The assessment has three components:
• Star Early Literacy - 10-minute computer adaptive assessment of early literacy skills
• Star Math – 15-minute computer adaptive assessment of math skills
• SAEBRS (Social Academic Emotional Behavior Risk Screen) – 19-question survey completed based on
teacher observation
Most students will take the literacy and mathematics components of the KRA on a computer or tablet. The test will be read out loud to students who will use a mouse or touchscreen to select answers. Paper tests, ASL interpretation, and other accommodations are available for students who need them. Teachers will complete the social and emotional component of the assessment after spending the first few weeks of school getting to know students and completing observations.
Caregivers will receive information about how their student performed after the assessment has been administered. The results provide information about a student's mastery of the content and skills that will support their success in kindergarten. Performance on the KRA does not prevent a child from entering or remaining in kindergarten. The KRA results are only one piece of data, and scores should be understood in the context of other information, including feedback from a student’s teacher.
If you have questions about the KRA please speak with your student’s teacher.
Sincerely,
Erika McCrea
Executive Director of State Assessments
Reminders and important info to start the 2025-2026 school year:
The Back to School Checklist includes links to all the required and optional documents to start your school year!
The Student Handbook is a great resource for students, parents, and guardians.
The new webpage, Stay Connected with Your Student’s Learning, was made to help parents and guardians connect directly to their student’s curriculum and understand options to support their child’s learning. This includes the process to follow for opting out of specific elements of the curriculum.
HCPS parents are their child’s first and best teachers! The HCPS Parent Academy is here to support you with resources, tools, and newsletters designed to keep families informed and engaged.
Check out the Parent Connection newsletter archive here: https://www.hcps.org/parents/parentacademy/parentconnectionarchive.aspx
Click here to visit the Parent Academy webpage for even more parent resources.
Dismissal Made Easy – Know the Flow!
The first day of school is September 2, 2025, for most students and September 4, 2025, for Prekindergarten. Be sure to review the HCPS Back to School Checklist, complete required forms, and get important updates before the first day. Click here to view the full checklist and resources.
