Enrollment

Admission to the Frederick Classical Charter School is determined by lottery held in the spring and a wait list managed year-round. The lottery is open to current and upcoming FCPS students.

Elementary School (K-4th)

FCCS enrolls 40 Kindergarteners and 42 scholars per grade in 1st-4th with two classrooms per grade.

Middle School (5th-8th)

FCCS has 168 middle school scholars enrolled in 5th-8th grade with two classrooms per grade.

Prospective Families,

Our unique curriculum follows classical methods and a research-based approach to support students of all abilities. With our small school size, we foster a close-knit community. We rely on, and thrive through family involvement with a variety of volunteer programs designed to ensure the success of each school year. Please feel free to check out the PowerPoint below for more information and we encourage you to explore our website to learn more about classical education and what sets our Maryland charter school apart. Another excellent way to become more informed about the culture and workings of our charter school is by attending a prospective family night information session. Check out the upcoming schedule.

Prospective Families Information Sessions

Frederick Classical Charter School 101 -- Power Point

We also recommend that all current and prospective families read The Schools We Need. It offers a great overview of many of the ideas that inspire our school.

If you’re searching for a public school with a special touch, consider Frederick Classical Charter School.

Sincerly,

Frederick Classical Chater School

Enrollment Process

Enrolling a child

Apply to our lottery. Admission to Frederick Classical Charter School is determined by a spring lottery, with a year-round waitlist. Enrollment is not available outside of the lottery process. Current students are automatically enrolled for the next year. The lottery fills any vacant seats and creates the waitlist, with priority given to FCCS Founding Families, children of FCCS staff, and siblings of current students. These groups must still apply for the lottery. Additional names can be added to the waitlist outside the lottery period. The Frederick County Public Schools central office oversees the lottery. Families will be notified of results and waitlist openings as soon as possible.

Applicants must be Frederick County, Maryland residents by July 1st before the school year and meet FCPS registration guidelines. New residents or those wishing to join the waitlist during the year must provide proof of residency upon admission.

Lottery and Waitlist

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year opens on January 2, 2025, and closes on March 13, 2025. The lottery will be held on March 15, 2025, in a closed session with an FCPS witness present. Applicants will be notified of their status via email.

Outside the application window, you can add your child to the waitlist by clicking "Apply Now." Current waitlist positions do not carry over, so you must re-register for the next year's lottery. The new waitlist will be available in April 2024. For questions about the waitlist, email Administrative Secretary Ms. Jennifer Tucker at Jennifer.Tucker@fcps.org.

Siblings of current scholars

Lottery registration is necessary for new enrollment of siblings of currently-enrolled scholars, founding family members, and children of faculty or staff.  These families must enter the current scholar's name in the field provided when completing the lottery registration form. 

FCPS Enrollment

Online enrollment is open for scholars NEW to Frederick County Public Schools including scholars who have been offered a spot to attend Frederick Classical Charter School in the 2025-26 school year through our enrollment lottery.

Parents may enroll their child in FCPS by creating an account here.

If any family enrolling at FCCS is in need of assistance, please contact Ms. Tucker at Jennifer.Tucker@fcps.org

Confirmation

You will receive an email confirmation upon completing the online application. Applications or changes received outside the lottery period are not eligible for the lottery and will be placed at the bottom of the wait list.

Enrollment forms and registration requirements will be sent once a spot is offered. If admitted, you must accept the placement as instructed in the emailed instructions within the specified time.

FCCS will use the contact information provided for correspondence about lottery results and placement.

For questions, email admissions@frederickclassicalcharterschool.org

FAQs

  • A charter school is a public school that is given the freedom to implement a different approach to education than the regular public schools. Charter schools are not religious, and do not screen applicants in any way. There is no tuition. Parents who would like their children to attend submit an application. If there are more applications than there are slots available, a public lottery is held to randomly choose students. Currently, there are over 5,400 charter schools in America, serving over 1.7 million students.

  • A classical education is divided into three stages: the "trivium," consisting of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The grammar stage (grades K-4) focuses on fundamental knowledge and skills across subjects. In the logic stage (grades 5-8), students use reasoning to deepen their understanding. The rhetoric stage (high school) emphasizes applying knowledge and reason to express and persuade. History underpins the study of science and humanities, with students covering two chronological sweeps of history during their time at our school. Please see Academics for more information.

  • Parents are members of FCCS and play a huge role at FCCS, both in the scholars education and in the success of our school as a whole. FCCS relies on the success of our Griffin Triangle which is the teamwork or parents, scholars and staff. The majority of our Board of Trustees, and committees are comprised of parent volunteers. Parents are expected to volunteer for a certain amount of hours per year. For more information please visit our members page.

  • Any child going into grades K-8 that is a resident of Frederick County, MD.

  • FCCS enrolls students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.  There are currently 40 Kindergartners and 42" students per grade in 1st-8th, with two classrooms per grade.

  • If your child is on the wait list for the current school year, you must register again for the lottery for the following school year (wait list names do not carry over from one year to the next). Once your child is a student at FCCS, you do not need to register for the lottery again.

  • Singapore math, used from kindergarten through sixth grade, has gained popularity due to Singapore's top rankings in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In the 2007 TIMSS report, Singapore was in the top three for fourth- and eighth-grade math, while the U.S. ranked ninth and eleventh.

  • Please visit our Enrollment page and click the button for lottery.

  • Yes, siblings of current students must register for the lottery. Siblings of current students, founding families, and children of faculty or staff will be given priority and are maintained on a separate wait list.

  • Yes, we have optional on-site before and after care provided by Clubhouse Kids, please see the Before and After Care page for more information

  • If not selected by the lottery, your child will be added to our wait list. Once a spot becomes available you will be notified .

  • Not currently. It is the responsibility of the family to provide transportation for your children. FCCS is hoping to be able to provide transportation to at least some of our students in the future.

  • Yes, there are many clubs and activities offered at FCCS including, but not limited to, guitar club, homework club, boys and girls basketball, band, chess club, etc.