FCS was founded in 1986 by members of Adelphi Friends Meeting. The school was originally housed on the grounds of the Meetinghouse on Metzerott Road. The School Committee envisioned a K-6 elementary school and hired Jane Manring, a Quaker and noted progressive educator, to lead the school in its early years.

The school grew steadily and relocated to the old Regina High School campus on Riggs Road, and then to Calvert Road in College Park. Anticipating continuing growth and the addition of a middle school, FCS built its new campus adjacent to Greenbelt National Park in 2007. The LEED-certified building features many sustainable features, including radiant-floor heat, water conservation fixtures, passive solar lighting, straw-bale insulation, and a green roof. In 2013, FCS completed its first addition to its new building, enhancing spaces for the performing arts, visual arts, Lower and Middle School science, tutorial and small group spaces, and administration. Enrollment has grown to 250 students in grades K-8. 

In 2019, Larry Clements retired as Head of School after a successful 11-year tenure and Angela Garcia was hired as the new Head. In 2023, FCS welcomed Neal Brown as Interim Head of School for a two-year term. The school is flourishing under the care of its dedicated leadership, its dynamic and engaging faculty, and its devotion to progressive and Quaker principles in educating and guiding the whole child.

The Logo's Origin

    • Oral History with Anne Walsh


Located in College Park, MD, Friends Community School is a progressive Quaker K-8 day school, founded on the belief that every child is a valued member of our community. We offer a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, integrity, community, environmental stewardship, simplicity and peaceful conflict resolution, rooted in our Quaker heritage.
Friends Community School
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100