
Ready…Set…Register! Online registration for the 2025-2026 school year for PreK-3 through Kindergarten will open on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
PreK-3 slots are limited and are only offered at Sandy Hill, Maple, Vienna and Hurlock Elementary Schools. PreK-3 students must be 3 years old by September 1, 2025; PreK-4 students must be 4 years old by September 1, 2025; and Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by September 1, 2025. Kindergarten attendance is mandatory by the State of Maryland.
What do you need to register? Proof of age (original birth certificate or passport), proof of residence (lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill), proof of relationship to the student (birth certificate, court order, legal documentation), and up-to-date immunization records.
PreK-3 and PreK-4 students also need proof of income for all adults residing in the household (2024 tax return, 2024 W2’s, current paystubs, and proof of additional income—TCA, child support, unemployment).
For more information, please contact the school or Julie Lewis, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education at 410-228-4747 ext. 1035 or email: lewisju@dcpsmd.org.


Due to the anticipated weather conditions below we are dismissing students 2 hours early. All after-school activities will be cancelled as well.


Good afternoon! DCPS will operate on a regular schedule and open on time tomorrow, Friday, February 21st. This is a reminder to make sure that your child brings his/her fully charged device and charger back to school. Thank you!


Good morning. Due to hazardous road conditions, DCPS will operate on a Virtual Learning day. Follow the schedule provided by your child's school. All staff are expected to telework, if possible, and essential employees should report at 10:00a.m. Stay safe.


Good evening! Dorchester County Public Schools will operate on a 2 hour delay tomorrow, Thursday, February 20th due to the inclement weather. We will reassess road conditions in the early morning and update everyone if there is a further change in the schedule. Thank you and stay safe.


Good evening! Due to the uncertainty of weather conditions overnight, DCPS will operate as a virtual learning day tomorrow, February 12th. Schools and office buildings are closed; all staff are expected to telework, if possible. Please contact your direct supervisor for further guidance. Stay safe.


Good morning! Due to the forecasted weather conditions tomorrow afternoon, DCPS schools will operate on a half day schedule. Staff may leave after students are dismissed. All PM activities will be cancelled tomorrow, Tuesday, February 11th. Stay safe.


Dear Parent/Guardian/Community Member,
Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) has initiated a process to modernize its elementary schools, and we need your input in the first step—the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. This document will identify what an ideal elementary school in Dorchester County should be: the types of instructional and support spaces it will contain, its educational philosophy, and its community features. It will be used to evaluate the older elementary schools in the system, leading to capital improvement projects that will support your children’s needs.
You are invited to a listening session to learn about the process for developing the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. The first session will be held on February 11, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School in the auditorium, and the second session will be held on February 12, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at North Dorchester High School in the auditorium. At these sessions, you will have the opportunity to provide input on the elementary schools. You do not need to attend both sessions as they will both cover the same information. Additional opportunities will be available later this spring to provide comments as the draft educational specification document is developed.
The Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification is the first step in providing modernized facilities for the elementary school students of Dorchester County. Your concerns and observations are crucial to the success of this process. We look forward to seeing you at one or both sessions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jymil Thompson
Superintendent of Schools


NOTICE OF MEETING
Board of Education Budget Work Session with Public Comments on the Budget
DATE: Thursday, January 23, 2025
TIME: 5:00 p.m.
PLACE: The Board Room
Central Office of the Board of Education
700 Glasgow Street
Cambridge, MD 21613
The Board of Education of Dorchester County will conduct a Budget Work Session with Comments from the Public at the date, time and location indicated above to address business as indicated on the agenda.
The agenda and related documents can be accessed online via BoardDocs on the Dorchester County Public Schools website at www.dcps.k12.md.us.
Anyone who would like to submit public comments electronically, to be included in the minutes, can email comments@dcpsmd.org by 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 22 2025.
All Board of Education Meetings will be livestreamed: https://townhallstreams.com/towns/dorchesterboe


Good Afternoon Families,
This weekend is a 3-day weekend. Schools will be closed on Monday, January 20th, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.
We are closely monitoring the weather forecast, which indicates a possibility of snow on Sunday and very cold temperatures on Monday and Tuesday. We are unsure if this will cause a school closure next week.
To prepare, we are sending home devices and chargers with students today in case we have to provide virtual learning next week. Remember, we have used all our inclement weather days and are doing our best to not extend the school year further into June.
If there is no significant snow event, students should bring their devices and chargers back to school on Tuesday. Please ensure the devices are safely stored over the weekend.
If there are any connectivity issues, students will have the opportunity to make up the work, and it will not count against them.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.


January 15, 2025
Dear Parent/Guardian/Community Member,
Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) has initiated a process to modernize its elementary schools, and we need your input in the first step—the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. This document will identify what an ideal elementary school in Dorchester County should be: the types of instructional and support spaces it will contain, its educational philosophy, and its community features. It will be used to evaluate the older elementary schools in the system, leading to capital improvement projects that will support your children’s needs.
You are invited to a listening session to learn about the process for developing the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. The first session will be held on February 11, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School in the auditorium, and the second session will be held on February 12, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at North Dorchester High School in the auditorium. At these sessions, you will have the opportunity to provide input on the elementary schools. You do not need to attend both sessions as they will both cover the same information. Additional opportunities will be available later this spring to provide comments as the draft educational specification document is developed.
The Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification is the first step in providing modernized facilities for the elementary school students of Dorchester County. Your concerns and observations are crucial to the success of this process. We look forward to seeing you at one or both sessions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jymil Thompson
Superintendent of Schools


Good afternoon!
Dorchester County Public schools will be opening on a two hour delay Monday, January 13th. Parents please make sure that your child returns their charged laptop tomorrow.


Good afternoon. Friday, January 10th will be a virtual learning day for students. More information will be sent from your child’s school. All 12-month employees are expected to report on time. If staff need additional time to get to work, they may reach out to their supervisor to adjust their schedule. Please be safe.


Good afternoon. Thursday, January 9th will be a virtual learning day for students. More information will be sent from your child’s school. All 12-month employees are expected to report on time. If staff need additional time to get to work, they may reach out to their supervisor to adjust their schedule. Please be safe.


Good afternoon!
Dorchester County Public Schools and Central Office will be closed Wednesday, January 8th. Essential staff may be called in by their supervisor if needed. Stay safe.


Good afternoon!
Dorchester County Public Schools and Central Office will be closed Tuesday, January 7th. Essential staff may be called in by their supervisor if needed. Stay safe.


Good afternoon! Due to the forecast for Monday, January 6th, all schools and the central office will be closed. If needed, essential staff may be called in by their supervisor. Stay safe.


It looks like 2025 is starting with some possible Inclement Weather days. At this time, the forecast is showing a winter storm on Monday, January 6, 2025. DCPS is scheduled to open on time; however, we will monitor the situation closely. Please visit our website for more information on potential inclement weather days and virtual instruction.


Introducing Rooms, the new DCPS Parent-Teacher communication tool! Rooms is fully integrated into our district app so you have one app for everything. Parents/Guardians can use the DCPS app for district and school news, events, dining, and now Rooms. Please check your email for more information and to get connected to your child's teacher(s).


Due to the threat of inclement weather, Dorchester County Public Schools and offices will be closed today, Friday, January 19, 2024. Be safe!
