In order to ensure a safe, productive, and positive learning environment, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) publishes these handbooks to help students, parents/guardians, and staff understand the Montgomery County Board of Education's core values and commitments; students' rights; school rules; expectations for student conduct; and the possible consequences for violating the rules. If you have questions, please speak to the administration at your school. If you have comments about any of these publications, please send them in writing to the MCPS Department of Communications at pio@mcpsmd.org.
(Translations are in production and will be posted as soon as they are available.)
A Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilities is an overview of the rights and responsibilities students enjoy in MCPS and a summary of the laws and regulations that affect students. Parents and guardians are encouraged to review this document with children so that our students understand their rights and responsibilities and the district's expectations for student conduct.
The MCPS Student Code of Conduct provides an overview of discipline procedures and protocols and the range of consequences students could face for violating various policies, regulations, and rules. The guide also discusses the MCPS philosophy to discipline and defines the various disciplinary responses. Parents and guardians are encouraged to review this document with children so that our students understand the district's expectations for student conduct. If you have questions, please speak to the administration at your school.
The Guidelines for Respecting Religious Diversity in Montgomery County Public Schools encompasses essential areas, including: absences for religious observances, ensuring that students can practice their faith without detriment to their academic progress; prayer and religious attire, allowing students to express their religious belief in a respectful manner; integrating religion in school life, fostering understanding and respect for various faiths within our curriculum; accommodating dietary restrictions and providing suitable meal options to honor religious observances; inclusivity and reasonable accommodations for religious practices during extracurricular activities, allowing all students to participate fully.
The Guidelines for Student Gender Identity align with the Montgomery County Board of Education's core values, guidance from the Maryland State Department of Education, and the Montgomery County Board of Education Policy ACA, Nondiscrimination, Equity, and Cultural Proficiency, which prohibits discrimination, stigmatization, and bullying based on gender identity, as well as sex, gender, gender expression, and sexual orientation, among other personal characteristics.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is committed to a safe, welcoming school environment where students are engaged in learning and are active participants in the school community because they feel accepted and valued. To this end, all students should feel comfortable expressing their gender identity, including students who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming. It is critical that all MCPS staff members recognize and respect matters of gender identity; make all reasonable accommodations in response to student requests regarding gender identity; and protect student privacy and confidentiality.
To assist in these efforts, MCPS has developed the Guidelines for Student Gender Identity that are aligned with the Montgomery County Board of Education's core values, guidance from the Maryland State Department of Education, and the Montgomery County Board of Education Policy ACA, Nondiscrimination, Equity, and Cultural Proficiency, which prohibits discrimination, stigmatization, and bullying based on gender identity, as well as sex, gender, gender expression, and sexual orientation, among other personal characteristics. These guidelines cannot anticipate every situation which might occur. Consequently, the needs of each student must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.