Parent Guides
Everything we have built to make JCPS easier to navigate, organised by topic. Start with the free field guide, then jump to the guide you need.
Free download
Start here: the free field guide
287 pages, 16 chapters, written for JCPS families and nobody else. Help parents understand the system early, ask better questions, and make choices based on fit instead of panic.
“Most parents treat JCPS like a simple neighborhood school system. It is not.”
What is inside
- How school choice, resides schools, and magnets actually work
- The application window, deadlines, and what to do before it opens
- Kindergarten registration and real readiness skills
- A school tour checklist with the questions to ask
- Transportation, after-school care, and the logistics trap
- Clubs, academic teams, gifted services, and enrichment
- Middle and high school transitions, academies, and pathways
- How to advocate with teachers and counselors without burning bridges
Start here
- New to JCPS: Start with Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
- Entering kindergarten: Read Chapters 1 through 5 before school starts.
- Comparing elementary schools: Use Chapters 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Want the full table of contents first? See all 16 chapters.
Browse guides by topic
Every topic below is a permanent page. Bookmark the ones that matter to your family — we keep adding to them as we report.
Academics & Testing
KSA scores, report cards, MAP, AP, dual credit, and how to read a JCPS school's numbers.
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After-School Care
Childcare Enrichment Program, YMCA sites, waitlists, and cost help.
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Athletics
Eligibility, physicals, tryouts, fees, and transfers for JCPS sports.
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Attendance
Absences, tardies, truancy letters, and what actually counts as excused.
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Bathrooms
Bathroom access, restrictions, and what to do when a school limits it.
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Bullying
How to report bullying in JCPS, what the district must do, and how to follow up.
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Clubs, Competitions & Extracurriculars
Clubs, academic teams, robotics, arts, and after-school competitions — what exists and how students join.
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Discipline
Suspensions, the student code of conduct, hearings, and how to respond.
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Food & Nutrition
Cafeteria accounts, free meals, allergies, menus, and whether kids actually get time to eat.
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Health & Wellness
School nurses, medications, mental health, immunizations, and when to call the clinic.
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Homework & AI
Homework expectations, AI tools in classrooms, and the rules students must follow.
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How to Contact & Escalate
The chain of command from teacher to principal to central office to the school board — and what to send at each step.
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Magnets & Traditional
Manual, YPAS, traditional programs, the application window, showcases and tours, waitlists and magnet busing — how to actually apply.
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Parent Involvement & PTA
PTA, SBDM, volunteering, and how parents actually get a voice at a JCPS school.
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Looking for magnets? Go to Magnets & Traditional »School Choice & Enrollment
Resides schools, registration, transfers, academies and the big-picture enrollment overview.
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School Fees
Instructional fees, waivers, activity costs, and what families can decline.
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Special Education
IEPs, 504 plans, evaluations, and your rights when services fall short.
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Student Safety
Threats, lockdowns, parent notification, and phone policy in JCPS buildings.
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Teacher & School Concerns
Raising a concern about a teacher, a classroom, or a school — the right way, in order.
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Transportation
Bus routes, stop changes, late buses, and who to call when a ride does not show.
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Still deciding? Start with the free Parent Field Guide.
287 pages of JCPS answers, sent straight to your inbox.
Free Parent Field Guide
The ebook that walks you through school choice, magnets, and transitions step by step.
Get the guide »Calendar & Deadlines
The application windows and calendar dates JCPS families cannot afford to miss.
See the dates »Ask or Submit a Tip
Stuck on something, or know something we should be reporting? Send it over.
Contact us »