Harford County Public Schools

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY
NOTICE OF BOARD SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING

Monday, June 16, 2025, at 4:00 pm - Adjournment

This meeting will be conducted in a virtual fashion with only Board members and staff in attendance virtually. The meeting will be streamed live and archived for later viewing on the HCPS website.

There is no time allotted for public comments during this special virtual meeting.

*The next full Board meeting is set for Monday, June 23, 2025.

The following communication was sent to all Parents and Guardians on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. via email.

As the school year comes to a close, we invite you to participate in the 2024–2025 Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) Parent Engagement Survey. Your feedback is essential in helping us better understand how we can continue to strengthen our engagement efforts and provide your family with the highest quality customer service.

This annual survey allows us to compare data year-over-year and measure progress toward improving the school-home connection. The results will guide us in identifying strategies that support strong family partnerships and student success across all HCPS schools.

The Office of Family and Community Partnerships collaborated with the HCPS Parent Advisory Council, school-based leaders, teachers, central office administrators, and the HCPS Manager of Research and Program Evaluation to develop the survey content.

All responses are anonymous and confidential. Please be as honest and open as possible. The survey should take approximately 5–10 minutes to complete, and responses are requested by Sunday, June 22, 2025.

To take the survey, please click here.

The survey is also available in Spanish. To access it, change the language setting in the top right corner of the survey start page from "English (United States)" to "Español (España, alfabetización internacional)."

Thank you for your time and continued partnership. We appreciate your support in helping HCPS grow stronger together.

The following message was sent to Parents and Guardians of students in Grades 1-9 via email on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Harford County Public Schools is excited to share with families who have a student(s) in grades 1 through 9 that our schools have been using the new i-Ready Diagnostic assessments for reading and math. This assessment will help determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth. The assessments also provide data for our teachers that help to support your child.

The i-Ready Diagnostic is a computer-adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions based on student responses. Each question a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly more difficult questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions.

We are excited that with i-Ready Diagnostic, comes a feature called Family Center. If your child has already been tested during this spring window, their score report is now available. Schools may test students through June 12. It is important to note that your child will need to log into their Canvas account for you to view their reports. Detailed instructions on how to access the Family Center once your child logs into their Canvas account are attached to this email, or you can click here. Instructions are also available on the "Resources for Parents” page under the “Parents” dropdown on hcps.org. Should you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

Per the 2024-2025 HCPS School Calendar, the last day of school was originally scheduled for June 12, 2025. With 5 inclement weather day closures this year, HCPS was scheduled to make up those days on June 13, 16, 17, 18 and 20, making June 20, 2025, the last day of school for students. Given the scheduled closure June 19, HCPS submitted a one-day waiver request of the 180-day calendar requirement to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to allow HCPS to end school on Wednesday, June 18.

At the April 29 MSDE Board meeting, with the state superintendent’s endorsement, the state board approved our waiver request.

HCPS last day of school for students will be Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The last professional development day for staff is Friday, June 20, 2025.
*Joppatowne High School’s last day for students will be an early dismissal on Friday, June 20, due to an additional closure earlier this school year.

More calendar information for this and next school year, is available here. PLEASE NOTE: if any additional closures are required prior to the last day of school, additional adjustments will be made to the calendar.

The following message was sent to all contacts on Thursday, April 24, 2025, via phone call, email, text message and app push alert

Thank you to all who have attended recent Harford County Public Schools events and cooperated with our updated safety procedures. As we continue working to enhance the safety of students, staff, and visitors, we are sharing important reminders about two key safety measures in place at HCPS events:

- Bag Policy at Middle and High School Events
Since September 17, 2024, all spectators attending athletic or other large events on middle and high school campuses have been required to follow the HCPS clear bag policy.
Approved bags include:

One clear tote bag (no larger than 12” x 12” x 6”, with a logo not exceeding 4.5” tall by 3.4” wide)

Resealable clear plastic bags (up to one gallon)

Small clutch bags (non-clear, no larger than 4.5” x 8.5”)

Medically necessary and diaper bags (subject to search; infant must be present)

Seat cushions and blankets (must be carried, not placed in a bag)

All other bags will be denied at entry. For full details and visual examples, visit the HCPS Athletics page or see the attached PDF.

- Weapons Detection System Use at Events
This school year, Harford County Public Schools began using OpenGate weapons detection systems at select events. These systems are used during HCPS-sponsored events and are not currently part of everyday school entry procedures.

All event attendees, students, staff, and visitors of all ages must go through the detection system when it is in use. Please follow staff instructions as we work together to ensure a safe experience for everyone.

Click here to view a video to learn more about the OpenGate system.

We appreciate your continued partnership in keeping HCPS events safe and welcoming for our entire community.

The following communication was sent to all contacts Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. via email and phone call:

Harford County Public Schools will begin utilizing Open Gate weapons detection systems in our schools over the next several weeks. They will primarily be seen and used at high schools and can also be moved to middle and elementary schools, as needed.

Click here to watch a video explaining the Open Gate Weapons Detection System.

Please note that when the system is set up and in use, visitors of any age, staff, and students, will need to go through the system. Please be prepared to follow staff instructions as we all work to ensure the safety of our schools.

The following communication was sent to all contacts on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. via email:

In March 2024, the Board of Education of Harford County updated the Cell Phone Policy for Harford County Public Schools, in order to better support student success by minimizing distraction. You can view this policy here.

The policy is in place and being enforced at all schools.

We appreciate the support of our entire Harford County Public Schools community in reinforcing these expectations. Please take a moment to watch this short video explaining why this policy is so important.

Thank you for helping us create and foster a focused and productive learning environment!

The following message is being sent via email and phone to all Joppatowne High School community members on Friday, February 28, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.:

This is an important calendar update for students, families, and staff at Joppatowne High School.

On December 19, 2024, Joppatowne High School was closed to allow students and staff to attend services for Ms. Niesha Jones, our beloved Community Schools Specialist. HCPS is required to submit a waiver request to MSDE for any unscheduled closure of a single school. The State Superintendent then determines whether to waive the 180-day student instruction requirement. Their decision dictates whether HCPS must make up the missed instructional time.

The request to waive the day from the 180-day requirement was denied. To comply with Maryland law, Joppatowne High School will now be open for instruction one day after the last scheduled day of school for students attending other HCPS schools. Please note that this additional instructional day, for JOHS students ONLY, will follow a three-hour early dismissal schedule.

Key Dates (as of Friday, February 28, 2025):
• Last day of school for all HCPS students: Friday, June 20, 2025
• Additional instructional day for JOHS students: Monday, June 23, 2025 (three-hour early dismissal)
• JOHS staff: Will remain for the remainder of the previously scheduled professional development day

Please note: If additional systemwide closures occur due to inclement weather, these dates will be adjusted accordingly.

We appreciate your support and understanding as we ensure Joppatowne High School meets the state calendar requirements.

The following communication was sent to all contacts on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. via email, phone call, text message, and push alert.

Harford County Public Schools kindergarten registration, and applications for kindergarten early entrance, and advanced placement to first grade for the 2025-2026 school year, will be available Friday, March 7, 2025.

Kindergarten registration can be completed online on March 7, 2025.

Applications for early entrance to kindergarten will be available to print online and submit a hard copy. To submit your application, follow the directions on the cover sheet of the printed application.

Applications for advanced placement to first grade will be available to print online and submit a hard copy. To submit your application, follow the directions on the cover sheet of the printed application.

*Printed applications will be available at each elementary school on March 7, 2025.*

Note: Prekindergarten applications will be available later this spring. Details will be released as soon as possible.

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 these important applications and registrations will be available March 7, 2025.

Additional registration information is available here.

The 2025-2026 Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) Color-Coded Calendar is available online.

You can view all available calendar information here.

News Alert for 6/4/2025

i-Ready Diagnostic