Maryland2026Active
HB0026
Public Schools - Open Enrollment Policies and Funding
Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 4:24 AM
In one sentence
This law allows county school boards to create rules letting students attend public schools in a different county for free if space is available.
What it does
- Allows counties to adopt policies so students can go to schools outside their home county without paying tuition.
- Requires receiving schools to count these out-of-county students when calculating total enrollment numbers.
- Sets up a funding rule where the student's home county sends money to the school they attend, with state help if needed.
- Mandates that counties publish application forms and space availability reports on their websites every four weeks.
- Gives schools reasons to deny applications, such as lack of room or missing special programs for a child.
Who it affects
- County boards of education in Maryland
- Students who live in one county but want to attend school in another
- Parents and guardians applying for their children's enrollment
Limits and unknowns
- Schools can deny applications if they do not have enough space or the right programs for a student.
- The law does not require schools to change their buildings, add new classes, or lower age requirements just because of this policy.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Open Enrollment Policy
- A rule a county creates that lets students from other counties attend its public schools.
- Sending County
- The county where the student lives with their parent or guardian.
- Receiving School
- A school in a different county that accepts students under an open enrollment policy.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
Authorizing a county board of education to adopt an open enrollment policy to authorize certain students to attend, free of charge, a public school in a county other than the county where the student is domiciled with the student's parent or guardian, subject to certain requirements; requiring county boards to include certain students in full-time equivalent enrollment counts; and directing certain funding to the county in which certain students are enrolled in a public school under an open enrollment policy.
Official activity
Bill history
- In the House - Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.