Welcome to SJB Admissions!
We hope that you visit our school and feel that you, too, belong here. Our students and their families feel that way every day.
We are accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year.
Admissions Policy
St. John the Baptist is a Catholic elementary school with 266 boys and girls in one class per grade from preschool through 8th grade.
While the school primarily serves parish families, it is open to all parents who want to send their children to a school with qualified teachers, high academic standards, and a supportive, faith-filled environment. SJB does not discriminate. Class size is limited. Here is our priority list:
1. siblings of SJB students
2. children of SJB parishioners
3. children of parents who are registered in other Catholic parishes
4. children and parents committed to education
Requirements
Pre-School
- Must be 3 by September 1 to enter the 3-year-old preschool program
- Must by 4 by September 1 to enter the Pre-K program
Kindergarten
- Must be 5 by September 1
First Grade
- Must be 6 by September 1
SJB follows Maryland law on age requirement for Kindergarten. Parents must have an early-admission waiver from their neighborhood public school before they may apply for their 4-year-old to enter Kindergarten. If there is a waiver for the child, the parents and principal will meet and make a decision to do what is best for the child.
SJB PreSchool -- For the 3's and 4's
SJB currently will accept up to 20 students for the 4-year-old PreK program and up to 11 students for the 3-year-old preschool program.
Applications for All Students
Applications for new students (PreK - 8th Grade) are free and must be made online through TADS, our enrollment and tuition management system.
Required Documentation -- Birth Certificate, Baptismal Certificate (if Catholic), Form 19 Release of Information Form
Release of Information Form -- When applying for placement in K-8, it is important to print, complete, and sign Form 19 and then upload the signed form on TADS or send it to the school office. Competing this step will speed up the admissions decision.
Please contact the school for an interpreter or for the use of a computer. We will accommodate you.
Registration and Enrollment
Registration instructions will be sent in an email from TADS soon after the child has been accepted. Please see the Admissions Timeline.
Parish Tuition Grant for Catholic Families -- Please complete the parish verification form and send it to the school office with names written clearly on the form. Parish policy is to provide a tuition grant to registered parishioners of St. John the Baptist and to families with written documentation of their membership to another parish. Please send the verification form as soon as you register.
When applying for preschool... be aware that potty-training is a requirement for children coming to SJB.
When applying for Kindergarten... the parent may receive a call from the Kindergarten teacher scheduling a readiness assessment for the child.
When applying for Grades 1 or 2...the parent may receive a request for a student-readiness assessment.
When applying for Grades 3-8... the parent may receive a call from the school scheduling a visitation date for the student.
Questions About SJB
- What do I bring for a visit? What do I wear?
The visiting student should arrive with a bag lunch, a pencil, a notebook, and should wear regular school clothes with a jacket if it's cold. The students usually go outside for recess. Sneakers are fine.
- On the day of the visit, where should we go when we get to the school?
Parents should bring the visiting student to the school office at 8:00 am and should pick up the child at the same place at the end of the day at 3:00 pm or at an agreed-upon pickup time.
- What happens during the visit?
The applicant will meet the homeroom teacher. Another student will guide your child through the procedures and introduce your child to classmates. The visiting student will go to all regular classes. Extra desk, chair, and materials are arranged ahead of time. The children will have lunch together and go to PE, music, art, library, and recess together, depending on the schedule for the day. The applicant may be given a math and reading assessment during regular classes.
- Why are we being invited to school events?
Current school parents will no doubt reach out to invite our new parents and students to upcoming school events such as the Christmas Show, Arts & Academics, the SJB Gala, and the Spring Show. Our parents have lots of enthusiasm for SJB, and they love to welcome new families to the community. Please come to as many events as you wish. You are always welcome here. In particular, you may wish to attend the Arts & Academics festival.
- What is a wait list?
If a class is full, a child's application will be placed on the wait list. We will notify parents whose children are on the wait list as soon as there is an opening. Parents will not be asked to pay a fee or come to the screening until we know that space is available.
- What does Blue Ribbon mean?
Students in grades 2-8 must perform in the top 15 percent nationally in reading, math, and attendance, according to standards set by the U.S. Department of Education. Students in different demographic groupings must also hit those marks.
