Education

Frederick County Public Schools

Parents new to Fort Detrick can help ensure appropriate class sizes and staffing by registering their children as soon as possible at local schools, all of which are open during the summer. To find out which school serves a particular address, call  301-644-5025.

The current enrollment for FCPS as of December 2021 is 45,820 students. The FCPS students have a 180-day school year in keeping with Maryland law.

The FCPS has developed a local student service program to meet the state's student service graduation requirement. The program integrates community service concepts in specific curricular areas in grades K-12. Each high school has a Service Learning Coordinator to assist with the implementation of this program.

Washington County Public Schools

The WCPS enrollment is 22,000 students. It has 45 traditional schools and 3 specialized schools.

Washington County's high schools prepare students for the future. The high school instructional program addresses the needs of students who are entering the workforce, preparing for adult responsibility or continuing their education at the post-seconday level. Among the many opportunities, students may pursue one of the numerous career and technology completer pathways and engage in Advanced Placement or other rigorous courses and programs. Interested students also have the opportunity to study at one of the growing number of magnet programs or Academies as well as at Washington County Technical High School or the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts.

Waynesboro Area School District, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

The district's 4,500 students attend classes in four elementary schools, a middle school and one high school.

FCPS Special Education

The Office's telephone number is 717-762-1191.

Adult Education

Please refer to the Education-Training section of the Ft. Detrick Military Installation's guide for information on College/Technical opportunities.

None on post. Frederick County Public Schools serve those living on Fort Detrick and eligible CYSS service users living in Frederick County.

Please refer to the Education-Training section of the Ft. Detrick Military Installation's guide for information on College/Technical opportunities.  For further information please call ACES (Arny Continuing Education System) at 301-619-2854.

FCPS is a successful school system in a diverse and growing community. Frederick County bridges rural, suburban, and urban lifestyles near both the Washington, DC and Baltimore metropolitan communities. Enrollment as of September 30, 2021 was 45,000 students. The racial/ethnic composition of our student body is 52% White; 20% Hispanic/ Latino; 14% Black/African American; 7% Asian; 7% two or more races; and less than 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native and Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian. We serve students with varying needs, including almost 5,100 students receiving special education services (11%),  about 3,300 English Learners (7%), and about 13,300 receiving free or reduced-price meal services (26%).

Frederick County is home to 69 schools, including 38 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, 10 high schools, 4 public charter schools, an alternative school, a special education school, Flexible Evening High and a Career and Technology Center.

We balance top-rate academics with the personal caring and individual attention you would expect in a small town community. In FCPS, we understand that the children we educate today will be the adults caring for our community's health, homes, businesses, and neighborhoods tomorrow. Frederick County's investment in public education is an investment in our future. Our operating budget for FY2023 is $822,836,251 with just over 44% of our funding coming from our local county government.

The results we achieve are impressive. Frederick County students consistently outpace their state and national peers in academic achievement measures such as the SAT college entrance exam. Students in our class of 2020 received $62 million in scholarship offers. FCPS’s Class of 2020 graduation rate was a high 92.4% (compared to Maryland's 86.6% average), while our dropout rate was 4.0% (compared with the state's 8.3%).

Our 6,764 employees are champions of excellence who collaborate with parents, community members, and local businesses to create an inspiring, academic, safe, healthy and nurturing environment for our students.

Frederick County Public Schools Graduation Requirements

FCPS requires a minimum of 25 credits to graduate. This includes the minimum 21 credits beyond the 8th grade that the Maryland State Board of Education requires and 4 additional credits that FCPS requires: 1 in math and 3 in career pathway credits.

Bus Service

FCPS provides bus transportation for more than 32,000 students every school day. For school bus riders, walking distance to the bus stop is no more than 1/2 mile. Parents are responsible for overseeing students as they walk to school or transporting them if the students' most practical, direct walking route to school is:

• 1.25 mile or less for grades pre-K through 5 (except at primary schools) or
• 1.75 miles or less for grades 6-12.

Meal Service

FCPS students may buy lunch in the school cafeteria or bring lunch from home. The Food Service Department offers meals (both breakfast and lunch) that meet nutritional guidelines for school age children. Milk is included with the traditional lunch or can be purchased separately. A la carte items are also available. Students with limited ability to pay may qualify for free and reduced-price meals. All foods offered in the school meals program are approved by the United States Department of Agriculture.

School Sports

High school sports are numerous and available at all FCPS schools. The schools boast everything from diving to field hockey. Most sports opportunities at the middle school level are offered through the community-based athletic associations or through the Youth Services on Ft. Detrick.

School Support Services

CYSS 301-619-7143

Admission

Maryland law states that eligible persons between the ages of 5 and 20 shall be admitted free of charge to the public schools. Attendance in a school program for those 5 to 16 years of age is compulsory. Students are assigned to schools based on the location of their homes. All children must live in Frederick County.

To register a student, visit the office of the school your child will attend. The FCPS may obtain discipline and expulsion records when a student transfers from another school system. Please request a partial copy of your child's school record to ease transition.

To enroll a student for the first time, you must provide an enrollment form which is provided by the school and all documents listed online. If you have enrollment questions, call the school liaison officer at 301-619-7143. School offices have all required forms and can provide further information. 

Kindergarten

To enter the FCPS pre-k program a child must be 5 by September 1, and to enter the kindergarten program in August, a child must observe the fifth birthday on or before 1 September of that year. Children entering first grade in August must have completed public kindergarten.

Parents who do not wish to enroll a five-year-old in a kindergarten or other approved program may request a one year waiver. At the end of the year the student will enter kindergarten, not the first grade.