UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
The following information will be sent directly to all staff and families via phone, email, and text in our mass communications system on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.

Harford County Public Schools is joining efforts with the Maryland Partnership for Prevention (MPP) to offer FREE flu vaccinations at your child’s school in October.  Your consent is required if you would like your child to be vaccinated for the flu at their school.  You may give permission for your child to be vaccinated for the flu using (1) an online form found at https://tinyurl.com/HCPSFlu or (2) the hard copy form linked here.  Parent/guardian consent is required by October 1, 2021, for your child to receive the flu vaccine at school.  If you have specific questions about the flu vaccines being administered at the school clinics, please contact your child’s school nurse. 

Instructions for completing the consent requirements:

Online:

1. Type your child’s school name in Search by Name then press the blue Search button.
2. Click on the Sign Up for Childhood Vaccinations button for your child’s school.

 OR

 Paper:

1. Read the Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) and talk to your health care provider or the school nurse about any questions you have. VIS: https://tinyurl.com/FluVIS2021-E
2. Fill out every section of the attached Consent Form. 
3. Use your insurance card to fill out your insurance information accurately.  Your insurance company will be billed.  There is no co-pay or deductible.  You will NOT be charged by us or your insurance company. 

1. First and Last name             
2. Email Address
3. Phone Number
4. Registration forms are limited to one (1) per person

• Registered 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, September 27, 2021. 
• 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.

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

A virtual Information Night regarding the Magnet and Technical programs offered by Harford County Public Schools has been scheduled for October 6, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. The programs that will be discussed include the Science and Mathematics Academy at Aberdeen High School; the Global Studies/International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Edgewood High School; the Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences Program at North Harford High School; the Oracle Academy at Havre de Grace High School; the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (PTECH) Program at Joppatowne High School, the Teacher Academy of Maryland, and programs offered at Harford Technical High School.

Please visit www.hcps.org for information regarding HCPS Magnet programs, including Virtual Open House details. You can also contact your school of interest directly with questions or for more information.

This is an important request of families with students in 4th through 12th grade.

If your student brought their HCPS-issued Chromebook or laptop home with them this weekend, please have them plug in the device to an electrical outlet, and power on the device. Please have your student sign in, and leave the device powered on for approximately one hour. This will prompt the device to receive required updates.

Allowing devices to update at home this weekend will save students and staff time completing the updates on their devices at school next week.

If your student’s device was left in the school, they will receive the updates when they log on at school and no further action is needed on your part.

In June of 2021, the Superintendent received boundary adjustment recommendations.  These recommendations were from the Advisory Team charged to evaluate and develop potential solutions to balance enrollment throughout the HCPS school district. Since receiving the recommendations, the Superintendent has been working with HCPS staff to develop draft recommendations that will be presented to the public for additional input.  

Thank you to all who have been involved in the process to date and have provided feedback during the first two phases of the process. The data gathered through community input provided the guidance needed by the Advisory Team. Stakeholder responses to surveys, attendance at various education forums, Board of Education meetings, and the many submissions of testimony and alternate suggestions have provided much-needed feedback throughout the process so far.  

As we continue with the third phase of the process, we again ask for public involvement and feedback on the Superintendent’s recommendations to address overcrowding in our schools. Using this feedback, he will forward his recommendation to the Board of Education in October 2021. The Board of Education will make a final decision in February 2022.  

The virtual public input forums will take place via Zoom from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on the dates below. During these forums, participants will be put into small discussion groups to provide feedback on the changes. For this reason, community members who plan to participate in a virtual forum are asked to register their intent to attend by clicking the date below. Please note, registration for an event will close 48 hours prior to the event date.   

It is suggested the public participate in the forum associated with your secondary attendance area; however, participants are not required to attend the meeting with their attendance area listed. You may address any attendance area at any of the forums listed. 

• Wednesday, September 22, 2021 (Fallston, Joppatowne, and North Harford)  

• Thursday, September 23, 2021 (Havre de Grace, Aberdeen, and Edgewood) 

• Thursday, September 30, 2021 (Bel Air, C. Milton Wright, and Patterson Mill) 

As a reminder, the Superintendent’s draft recommendations, boundary maps, and map books associated with the boundary adjustments being proposed, are available on the Balancing Enrollment page on hcps.org.   

Additionally, please be advised notifications and updates will be communicated via HCPS’ Connect5 phone, email, text, and posted to the HCPS Balancing Enrollment Webpage. You are encouraged to register for or update your information for HCPS communications at the links below. This will ensure you receive all direct mass communication about the balancing enrollment initiative as we move forward in the process.  

• Community Members https://hcpscommunityconnect.bbcportal.com/ 

• Parents/Guardians - https://hcpsparentconnect.bbcportal.com/ 

Thank you for your continued engagement and participation.