Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) will hold a lottery application for a limited number of kindergarten seats in the dual language, two-way immersion program housed at Arthur Middleton Elementary School. The spaces will be available at the start of the 2027-2028 school year. Parent and community nights are scheduled for later this month where more information about the program and the lottery process will be shared.
Two virtual meetings will be held to discuss the dual language, two-way immersion program and the application process for the lottery. The sessions are set for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 26, and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18.
The links to the meetings are below.
Monday, Oct. 26 — https://ccboe.zoom.us/j/84275862637?pwd=r8Py1FyRNWeAaBEas0peDCfGMqL6rJ.1
Wednesday, Nov. 18 — https://ccboe.zoom.us/j/82969065083?pwd=EUkw6jtl4Nqwa2EesBCBIi4UHibZCa.1
The dual language, two-way immersion program is housed at Middleton with the lottery held for students who live outside the Middleton zone. There are 25 seats available in kindergarten and other grades may have seats available in Grades 1 through 3 based on grade-level enrollment numbers. The lottery opens in January, with families notified of program acceptance in February.
The dual language program delivers grade-level content instruction in two languages, English and Spanish. It begins in early childhood and lasts for a minimum of six years.
The dual language immersion program is intended to teach students to be bilingual and biliterate. Multilingualism benefits students in several ways, according to the U.S. Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition. At Middleton, students speak English and Spanish in the classroom and in non-instructional settings like the cafeteria and playground.
Students who are multilingual have improved learning in various subjects, increased levels of creativity and can boost higher levels of abstract thought and reasoning, the department of education office reported.
Learn more about the dual language program at www.ccboe.com. For more information about the lottery or the program, email duallanguage@ccboe.com.
To view the fliers for the upcoming parent meetings, click here for English. The flier in Spanish is posted here.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,904 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).