Baltimore City Public Schools

Eligibility: Children who are 4 years old by September 1st and are residents of Baltimore City.
Cost: Pre-K seats in City Schools are free for all families, but seat placements are prioritized based on income
Placement in your neighborhood school is not guaranteed. If the neighborhood school fills, families will be offered a seat at another school.
There are nearly 4,000 City Schools Pre-K seats.
All City Schools Pre-K programs follow the same programming, teacher training, and curriculum

Explore Different Schools

School Profiles are available at this link. Click on a school to see its profile and learn more!

The online application for Baltimore City Public Schools Pre-K has closed. Missed the window to apply online? No problem! You can apply in-person and there are still many seats available!

How To Enroll

Apply for Pre-K during the Summer Enrollment and Transfer Application window:

- Date: July 6-29, 2026
- Location: Central Office (200 E. North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21202)
- Hours: Monday and Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

After this window, families can enroll in Pre-K directly at their preferred school. We recommend calling ahead to make an appointment.

If there is not space at your preferred school, the Enrollment Official can help you find a school with space, or you can visit the Office of Enrollment, Choice, and Transfer at the District Office. More information about public hours can be found at this link.

Click here to access more information about pre-K and kindergarten enrollment on the Baltimore City Public Schools website.

Kindergarten Early Admission Enrollment Guidance.pdf

The window for Early Admission to kindergarten has closed.

Children who will be 4 by September 1 can enroll in pre-K for the 2026-2027 school year.

Kindergarten Early Admission Enrollment Guidance-2.pdf

The Pre-K Waiver application will be open August 1-15, 2026 at https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/o/bcps/page/pre-k-and-kindergarten-registration.