This article provides details on the middle schools within the Prince George's County Public Schools system, in the U.S. State of Maryland.
Middle schools operate as 6th–8th grade middle schools. Some middle schools are part of combined PreK-8th grade elementary/middle schools, and are referred to as "Academies". Grades 7–9 junior high schools were completely phased out in the mid-1980s. Recent efforts have been made to convert most middle schools to the more popular grades 6–8 model. Issues in the past such as over-enrollment, lack of classroom space, and funding, had made it hard to convert all middle schools to a grades 6–8 configuration, but with increased funding and the addition of new middle schools, the transition is slowly being made to be completed by SY2024–2025.
Most middle schools in Prince George's County operate with a "comprehensive" model as their base. Most students are assigned to a middle school based on an "attendance area". Most magnet programs are run as a "school-within-a-school" model, where the magnet serves as an alternative program — in addition to the main comprehensive program — and students from outside the regular attendance area of the middle school are enrolled and accepted into the magnet, either through continuity (automatic continuation from an elementary school magnet program to the middle school level equivalent) or more commonly, through a "magnet lottery", where students apply for a magnet program and are granted acceptance through a random drawing. Almost all middle schools have a whole-school "signature program" that includes a specialized program of instruction which is the foundation of the school's comprehensive program.
All middle schools in the PGCPS operate on a staggered school day schedule, where some middle schools start as early as 7:45 am and the end as early as 2:25 pm, and other middle schools start as late as 9:30 am and end as late as 4:10 pm. All middle schools operate on a modified block scheduling system, where some classes meet for as long as 70 minutes, daily.
In a cooperative effort of the county government, Board of Education, and the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), some M-NCPPC community centers are physically connected to middle schools throughout the district. The unique community park/school centers currently features shared use areas which include a gymnasium, multi-purpose room, exercise/fitness room, dance room, arts and crafts room, computer lab, offices, storage areas, patio area, and restrooms. There are tennis courts and unlighted fields located on-site at select centers.
The Accokeek Academy
The Accokeek Academy (Area 4, District 5, grades 6–8 ) is a Talented and Gifted Center magnet school, located in Accokeek. The Accokeek Academy was instituted in the fall of 2009 as part of the PGCPS school consolidation effort. Under the initiative, Eugene Burroughs Middle School and neighboring Henry G. Ferguson Elementary School were combined to create The Accokeek Academy. The school's name was decided after input from the community that the two schools serve.
At the middle school-level, the principal is Judy Adams. The school hours are 9:30 am – 4:10 pm. There are roughly 700 students enrolled in grades 6–8. The school currently has a uniform policy in place.
The Talented and Gifted Magnet Program at the Accokeek Academy is designed to provide accelerated learning for highly gifted students. The program functions as a "school-within-a-school," where the magnet serves as a secondary program to the main comprehensive program. Admission into the TAG magnet program is through specialized TAG admissions testing only.
In 2009, 73.6% and 52% of all students in Grades 6–8 tested proficient in reading and mathematics, respectively, based on scores from the state-administered MSAs. 32% of all students were eligible for the government-funded free and reduced lunch program.
Approximately half of all students attend high school at Friendly High School, while the other half attend Gwynn Park High School.
Beltsville Academy
Beltsville Academy (Area 1; District 1, grades PreK-8 ) is a pre-kindergarten through 8th grade academy, located in Beltsville.
Beltsville Academy operated as Beltsville Elementary School and prior to that, as Beltsville Academic Center (when Beltsville housed the now eliminated Academic Center magnet program), until the 2008–09 school year, when it was converted to a pre-kindergarten through 8th grade school. The middle school comprises grades six through eight. The principal is Leslie Lowe. The school hours are 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. This school does not currently have a uniform policy.