Monday, March 23, 2026

BCPS announces launch of Rising Together mental health screening program pilot 

Multi-partner program to help schools identify mental health risks earlier and connect students and families with resources 

Hall of Famer Ray Lewis speaks to students

Ray Lewis speaking to the media about Rising Together

Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers and Ray Lewis

BCPS, in partnership with Ray Lewis and the Ray of Hope Foundation, Possibilities for Change, J&B Medical, and the Stephen and Renee Bisciotti Foundation, announced the launch of the Rising Together Schoolwide Mental Health Screening Program. The announcement came during the annual BCPS Mind Over Matters event for students.

The Rising Together program, which will be offered in 15 BCPS schools, connects students ages 8–18 with confidential mental health and wellness screenings designed to identify depression, anxiety, and other risk factors early. Schools will receive data-driven insights that help guide interventions, referrals, and ongoing support for students and families. 

The following BCPS schools will participate in the pilot: 

More information can be found in a BCPS news release and photos from the Mind Over Matters conference can be found on Flickr.

Students learn more about mental health during annual Mind Over Matters conference

Nottingham Middle School students design adaptive pencils for classmate through Purdue University's EPICS Program

On its website, the Purdue University College of Engineering recently wrote about a special project at Nottingham Middle School. With support from Purdue's EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) program, Nottingham's health science teacher Ruth Akers engaged Grade 7 students in designing, testing, and presenting adaptive pencils for a schoolmate whose medical condition made handwriting more challenging.

Purdue University graciously allowed BCPS to repost the article.

Student mental health services significantly expanded

Over the past three years, BCPS has significantly expanded direct access to student mental health services and invested more than $15 million in targeted resources to meet the needs of 108,000 students. The challenges students face are increasingly complex, and BCPS is committed to the academic success and physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of all students. We are actively partnering with community groups, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to provide wrap-around services that address growing needs. We are proud to report that BCPS students have access to direct care services in more than 110 schools.

Highlights of system initiatives and investments include:

• Students ages 13 and above can access free telehealth therapy through Talkspace. Nearly 3,000 students have accessed Talkspace’s services with more than 38,000 text messages sent to Talkspace therapists. 

• Students across all levels at more than 120 schools can access enhanced behavioral health services including therapy, workshops, family education, prevention services, mentoring, family support groups, character education, and more through a partnership with the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports.

• Students at 15 BCPS schools will receive confidential mental health and wellness screenings designed to identify depression, anxiety, and other risk factors early. Schools will receive data-driven insights that help guide interventions, referrals, and ongoing support for students and families.

• Students at five BCPS middle schools receive support through the CIGNA School Support Line, a no-cost, confidential service that puts students and families in touch with mental health professionals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

• The BCPS Mind Over Matters campaign provides comprehensive year-round support to students, staff, and families through mental health tips, activities, resources, and conferences.

A slam dunk season for Franklin Middle boys basketball 

Matthew Elliott, vocal/general music teacher at Franklin Middle School, is currently enjoying his 15th year as a BCPS educator and just completed his 12th season as the school's boys basketball coach. "This season was truly memorable," Elliott noted. "This was one of the best teams we've ever had. Going 10-0, the team was incredible. The camaraderie was incredible. They have the best relationships, goofing off sometimes, at the appropriate times....They had a good relationship with one another, and that translated to the court."

A new blog post delves into more about the perfect season from Elliott's perspective and that of the student athletes as well as the benefits of middle school athletics. The post was suggested by team member Dallas E. The BCPS communications office welcomes story ideas from students, staff, and others. Story ideas should be sent to communications@bcps.org.

BCPS requests waiver to extend full compliance with Minimum School Funding requirements

Stakeholders encouraged to complete brief survey

BCPS has requested a waiver to extend to Fiscal Year 2028 full compliance with the Minimum School Funding requirements outlined in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

Under the Blueprint, local school systems must report how funds are allocated to schools at the individual student level. BCPS remains committed to distributing resources equitably based on student needs. However, schools with smaller proportions of student service groups—economically disadvantaged students, students receiving special education services, and multilingual learners—would receive significantly less funding under the minimum school funding formula.

Minimum School Funding aims to help school systems align expenditures to the funding areas, at the individual student-level. BCPS is working diligently to shift current budgeting and accounting practices and processes to align with state requirements in a manner that will not negatively impact other schools and disrupt student achievement. The waiver allows for additional time while we work together with Accountability and Implementation Board and the Maryland State Department of Education to evaluate the impact of the requirements on individual school communities. Several school systems have submitted waiver requests and received approval.

BCPS values stakeholder feedback regarding its work to meet the requirements of the Blueprint. Please complete a short survey in English or Spanish to share your thoughts on the requirement and waiver request.

Learn more in a recent staff and community update available in English and Spanish.

Let's celebrate Women's History Month!

March is Women's History Month, a time to underscore the impact of leaders and changemakers throughout history, and to inspire one another in pursuit of continued progress for all.

Celebrate Youth Art Month by attending dance festivals and the Art is For Everyone! exhibition this week

BCPS Dance Festivals

Three dance festivals will be held this week; all are free and open to the public.

Dance Festival #1

Tuesday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m.

Milford Mill Academy, 3800 Washington Ave., Windsor Mill 21244

Featuring performances from Dogwood, Lyons Mill, and Relay elementary schools; Deer Park Magnet, Southwest Academy, Sudbrook Magnet, and Windsor Mill middle schools; Lansdowne, Milford Mill Academy, New Town, Owings Mills, and Woodlawn high schools; as well as the countywide BCPS Men’s Ensemble and Middle School Honors Ensemble.

BCPS Dance Festival #2

Wednesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m.

CCBC Essex, F. Scott Black Theatre, 7201 Rossville Blvd., Rosedale 21237

Featuring performances from Chatsworth, Pinewood, and Timonium elementary schools; Deep Creek, Franklin, Middle River, and Nottingham middle schools; Dulaney, Hereford, Franklin, Overlea, Parkville, and Patapsco high schools; as well as the countywide BCPS Men’s Ensemble.

BCPS Dance Festival #3

Thursday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m.

CCBC Essex, F. Scott Black Theatre, 7201 Rossville Blvd., Rosedale 21237

Featuring performances from Cedarmere and Dundalk elementary schools; Dundalk, Loch Raven Technical Academy, Pikesville, and Stemmers Run middle schools; George Washington Carver Center, Kenwood, Perry Hall, and Pikesville high schools; as well as the countywide BCPS Men’s Ensemble and High School Honors Dance Ensemble.

Annual BCPS Art Is for Everyone! Exhibition 

The annual BCPS Art Is for Everyone! exhibition will showcase the artwork of BCPS students in PreKindergarten through Grade 12 at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr., Baltimore 21218. The exhibition opens this Wednesday, March 25, and will close on Sunday, March 29. Museum admission is free, and museum hours are Wednesday, March 25, and Friday, March 27, through Sunday, March 29, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Thursday, March 26, from 10 a.m.-9 pm.

Reception and special offer

A meet-and-greet reception for participants and families will be held at the museum on Saturday, March 28, from 1-4 p.m. Free general admission tickets with timed entry will be provided at the Visitor Experience desk before entering the museum's galleries. Each ticket will also provide access to the acclaimed "Amy Sherald: American Sublime" exhibition. The tickets allowing free access to the Sherald exhibit will only be available on Saturday, March 28, from 1-4 p.m.

Details are available in a BCPS news release.

Photos from the 2025 Side by Side Concert

For students only: Annual BCPS/Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Side by Side Concert

This Friday, March 27, more than 1,000 BCPS students will travel to Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore to see musically talented peers perform onstage next to Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) members. For nearly 40 years, the BSO has partnered with BCPS for the Young Soloist and Side-by-Side programs. The chosen Young Soloist for 2026, Stella Wong, a Grade 9 student at Dulaney High School, will perform the third movement of the “Violin Concerto in E minor” by Felix Mendelssohn, accompanied by BSO musicians.

School Board Nominating Commission seeks applicants for at-large and District 1 vacancies

The Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission will begin accepting applications for the Board of Education’s one at-large seat for the remainder of the vacated term through December 4, 2028, and for the Board’s District 1 seat for the remainder of the vacated term through December 7, 2026.

Applications are posted on the commission website and will be accepted through Tuesday, March 31, until 3 p.m. “Interested Baltimore County residents are urged to submit applications,” said Commission Chair Scott Jenkins. A candidate interview schedule will be determined.



Applications, resumes, and two letters of recommendation can be mailed or hand-delivered to the Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission, c/o Tracy Gover, 6901 North Charles Street, Building A, Towson, MD 21204.

Registration still open for BCPS dance and music enrichment programs

Families encouraged to register promptly

Each camp will introduce students to related career fields. Enrollment priority will be given to current BCPS students and children of BCPS staff. All camps will cost $185 per student, which includes a camp T-shirt or tote bag and bus transportation (if needed). Fee waivers are available for students who do not have permanent or adequate housing. Financial assistance and payment plans can be requested. Translated camp information is available on the summer camp websites.

for parents/caregivers

from BCPS Parent University

Don't miss the newest episode of the Parent University show

This month's Parent University show highlights early registration for PreKindergarten and Kindergarten; the 2026 Mind Over Matters student mental health conference; and a partnership with the Maryland Food Bank that benefits BCPS families.

BCPS families are invited to a free vaccination clinic at Hawthorne Elementary School

The Baltimore County Department of Health will be hosting a free vaccination clinic at Hawthorne Elementary School for BCPS families.

• Tuesday, March 24, from 5-7 p.m.
• Hawthorne Elementary School, 125 Kingston Rd., Essex 21220
• Vaccines available: MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), flu, and COVID (ages 19+)
• No appointment required.
• No insurance required.

This clinic is especially important for students and families who:



• Are unsure of their MMR vaccination status
• May need to get up to date on required immunizations

For more information, families can call 410-887-2705.

Xello available to secondary students and families for college and career exploration

Xello is the BCPS college and career exploration online platform that helps BCPS middle and high school students build the skills, knowledge, and plans to be future-ready. The program uses an investigative, discovery-based learning process. Through Xello, students better understand themselves, their future career options, and the 21st-century skills they’ll need to succeed.

Learn more about Xello in a video available in both English and Spanish. All students in Grades 6-12 have access through the Microsoft 365 Apps Portal.

for your viewing pleasure

"Glass on Black" by Brynn P., Grade 7, Perry Hall Middle School. This artwork is part of the 2025-2026 Superintendent's Gallery Online Exhibition. The entire exhibition of more than 280 submitted works can be viewed online.

mission moment

from The Education Foundation of BCPS

Mission Moment: The foundation supports early childhood literacy

The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools partnered with the BCPS Department of Early Childhood Programs to host two exclusive book events for PreKindergarten teachers. On February 26 and March 3, more than 40 teachers visited the Exchangerees in Windsor Mill and Rosedale and adopted more than 750 books for their classroom libraries. 

“Events like this help ensure that young learners have access to high-quality, engaging books while supporting teachers in building rich classroom libraries," said Brandi Zellhofer, an early childhood specialist. "Increasing access to books in early childhood classrooms is a powerful way to promote early literacy, spark a love of reading, and create meaningful opportunities for children to explore language and stories every day.” 

Learn more about The Education Foundation's support for early literacy in a new Mission Moment blog post.

a word from Dr. Rogers

March 23, 2026

Dear Reader:

Addressing youth mental health requires strong partnerships between schools, families, and community organizations. Over the past three years, BCPS has expanded direct access to student mental health services and invested more than $15 million in resources to meet the needs of our 108,000 students.

At the 2026 annual BCPS Mind Over Matters conference, BCPS, in partnership with Ray Lewis and the Ray of Hope Foundation, Possibilities for Change, J&B Medical, and the Stephen and Renee Bisciotti Foundation, was pleased to launch Rising Together, a new pilot mental health screening program at 15 schools.

We continually seek new opportunities to bring important resources and conversations to our schools and demonstrate to our students that our school system is committed to supporting them and providing the resources they need to thrive.

Regards,

Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Upcoming Board meetings

All are welcome to attend

Board of Education meeting

Tuesday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m.

BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Towson 21204

Board of Education meeting

Tuesday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m.

BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Towson 21204