Registration Requirements

WHO MAY REGISTER A STUDENT

Only a parent or court-appointed guardian may register a student in a Prince George’s County Public Schools. If a student is residing with anyone else, they must either obtain legal court-appointed guardianship or apply for kinship care approval. For additional information, call the Department of Pupil Accounting and School Boundaries at 301-952-6300. A child may not be registered on a notarized statement giving guardianship. Please note that it is not necessary to apply for court-appointed guardianship to apply for a kinship care approval. 

PROOF OF RESIDENCE

Proof of residence is a prerequisite of admission to the public schools. Such proof must have the name and address of the person registering the student listed. It must also be provided to school personnel with any change in residence or any change in schools. The person who is registering a student in Prince George’s County Public Schools for the first time must complete an Affidavit of Disclosure, as required by law, verifying their legal residence.

Proof of residence may be established by any of the following documents:

• settlement papers
• lease agreement
• rental receipt
• deed of property
• a tax assessment bill

The documents must be originals, not copies. If there is a question regarding the validity of one of the proofs, school personnel may require additional information, such as a recent utility bill or employment verification. An individual may only have one principal residence and that residence is used to determine school assignments. In general, PGCPS follows the provisions of Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) to determine the principal residence.

SHARED HOUSING DISCLOSURE 

If parent/court-appointed guardian is living with a friend or relative as their principal residence, a notarized Shared Housing Disclosure Form, signed by both parties detailing the living arrangement, is required. The following conditions also must be met:

1. All parties must sign the notarized Shared Housing Disclosure
2. The relative or friend with whom the parents reside must show their proof of residence
3. The parent registering the child must present official mail to the school within 30 days of enrollment. The required mail items may consist of original items including a statement from an employer showing the new address, bank statements, car registration, car insurance policy, government or official correspondence, etc.
4. The parent should be advised that the school system reserves the right to monitor this type of proof periodically or as needed. The shared-housing agreement must be renewed annually.

PROOF OF AGE 

Proof of age is required for all students being registered. An original proof of birth must be provided for students entering the school system for the first time. Sources for birth verification include:

• birth certificate
• hospital certificate
• physician’s certificate
• birth registration.

The student’s name, student’s birth date and the name of the parent who is registering must be listed on the proof of birth.

If the student has been previously registered in one of Prince George’s County Public Schools, original birth verification is not required; a copy may be accepted. The school will call the last school attended to see if a copy of the birth verification is already on file in the student’s folder. If a copy is on file, an original document is not needed.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN

Early Childhood Registration and Application Process