Baltimore County Police visit the staff of Honeygo Elementary – photo courtesy of Baltimore County Police–
Baltimore County Public Schools started the 2025-26 school year today as more than 110,000 Baltimore County students went to 174 schools throughout the county.
“Team BCPS has worked hard to prepare for today and build on our success, all to make sure we fast forward into an exciting, promising, and welcoming new school year,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers. “Our school system is ready, and our teachers and students are eager to return. This is the first day of an entire school year full of inspired instruction, academic achievement, and student learning and growth.”
BCPS Near Full Staff
According to BCPS, the school system is nearly 100 percent fully staffed, with fewer than 42 vacancies remaining as of Aug. 22. At least 141 of the system’s schools have no vacancies, and 97 percent of the schools with vacancies have two or fewer openings.
Reduced Cellphone Usage at Schools
BCPS has started a “Off and Away, Every School, Every Day” campaign to restrict cell phone use during the school day.
Under the new expectations, cell phone use will be prohibited during the instructional day in all BCPS elementary and middle schools other than for school-sanctioned uses or times.
Schools will share specific plans with families and will have information posted on their websites.
Device Allocation
BCPS has updated its student device allocation plan for the new school year; elementary and middle school students will no longer take devices home as in the past, though there are ways for students to check out devices for home use when needed. There is no change to high school device usage under the new allocation plan.
Capital Planning
BCPS worked on more than 70 capital projects this summer that include replacement HVAC systems, fire alarm systems, roofs, boilers, chillers, intercom systems, secure vestibules, electrical upgrades, and mechanical upgrades. An additional 18 schools have grants/special projects in progress that include playgrounds, scoreboards, stadium enhancements and school signs.
One of those projects included the expansion of Pine Grove Middle School in Carney. The school went from the capacity of under 1,000 students to over 1,400. This helps with overcrowded middle schools in northeast Baltimore County
