Enrollment

We are currently not accepting applications for new students for the 2022-2023 school year. Baltimore City families meeting our income criteria are welcome to apply for their child’s enrollment when it reopens.

Regardless of situation, families only need to apply once—they do not have to apply each year. Once accepted, your child is accepted for the duration of her/his time with us.

After an application has been submitted, families are invited in for an interview and we review income to determine financial eligibility. All of our students are supported by a sponsor or sponsors who support the child’s tuition for her/his time with us. It is our mission to support young, working families of slender means living in Baltimore City.

There is no need to complete a new application each year. Accepted preschool students join us for three years, participating in our 2s, 3s and 4s program, before graduating to kindergarten. Preschool graduates who are ready to advance to kindergarten will have the option to continue their education at our elementary school.

Elementary students can join us for five years, from kindergarten to fourth grade. In the 2022/2023 academic year TLS will offer Kindergarten and first grade, and we will add one grade level each year until we reach full capacity in September 2025.

Parent Volunteers

Parents or grandparents are responsible for volunteering 20 hours per year.*

Volunteer activities can include reading to a class, serving as a playground monitor, serving meals to the students, and washing toys.

Volunteer hours can instead include taking home laundry to wash or bringing in donations such as masks and hand sanitizer.

In addition to volunteering, every family is required to make a donation to the school of $40 per month, and must attend classes for parents on the first Saturday of the month**, which include a speaker who is an expert in a specific area such as positive parenting, nutrition, budgeting tips, speech and language, brain development, and what hurts growth.

COVID-19 NOTES:
* We are limiting parental access to the school and interaction with students, faculty and staff.
** These mandatory, monthly meetings have been converted to virtual meetings using Zoom.

Eligibility

The child or family must meet the following criteria for acceptance to our program:

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The child must be a Baltimore City resident

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The child must be two, three, four, five, or six years of age by the first day of school

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The family must meet our income eligibility guidelines

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The family must be willing to commit to all of our parent requirements, including:

  • Contribute $10 per week (or $40 per month)
  • Make every effort to adhere to pick up/drop off times and have children in school each day, and coordinate with the school administration regarding excused or planned absences
  • Apply for the Maryland childcare scholarship vouchers program
  • Volunteer 10 hours at school each semester (20 hours total for the year)
  • Attend Parent Workshops one Saturday each month
  • Attend Parent-teacher conferences two times per year
  • Write a thoughtful letter to the child’s scholarship sponsor(s) three times per year
    Family Size Maximum Annual Income
    Family of 2 $48,637
    Family of 3 $60,081
    Family of 4 $71,525
    Family of 5 $82,969
    Family of 6 $94,413
    Family of 7 $96,558
    Family of 8 $98,704
    Family of 9 $100,850
    Family of 10 $102,996