Admissions Process

Holy Trinity Catholic School provides a challenging and diverse curriculum for pre-kindergarten (age 4) through eighth grade.  Holy Trinity is co-owned by three area parishes: Good Shepherd Catholic Community, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Michael’s Catholic churches.
New student applications will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis, giving priority registration to accepted applicants whose families are members of our sponsoring parishes.  Generally, enrollment in eighth grade is limited to students already enrolled in a Catholic school.

As openings become available, the following priorities will be used to accept students to Holy Trinity Catholic School:

1. Active members of Good Shepherd/St. Francis/ St. Michael
2. Members of other Catholic parishes
3. Students of other Faiths

Step 1: Online Application

• Submit completed Online Application and application fee of $75 by creating an account and applying online at www.holytcs.org (select New Students/Apply Online).
• Submit to the Admissions Coordinator at Holy Trinity the following:

• Copy of county-issued birth certificate

• If applying for Grades 1st - 8th  also submit:
  • Copy of most recent report card
  • Copy of most recent standardized test scores
  • Professional Assessments (if applicable) e.g. Psycho-educational, IEP, speech
  • Letter of Reference from current school principal or assistant principal

Step 2: Interview & Assessment
A family Interview and Student Assessment will be scheduled at the school once all paperwork has been received and reviewed.  
Step 3:  Online Registration
After receiving your acceptance letter, you will go to FACTS Family Portal and complete the online registration/enrollment packet, which includes:

• Registration Fee
• Permission to Publicate
• Permission for Internet Use
• Permission to Treat
• Emergency and Authorized Pick-Up lists
• Financial Agreement

Step 4: Parish Verification
Holy Trinity will contact your parish to verify parishioner status and confirm your tuition rate.
Step 5: Tuition Payment
You will be asked to set up your FACTS account when you complete your online enrollment packet and afterward you will receive an email detailing your FACTS account and tuition payment schedule.
Step 6:  Requirements & Required Forms Due by August, 1
Final acceptance is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements and receipt of your completed forms due to the school office by Aug 1.   

1. PK Students must be 4 by September 1 and be completely toilet trained.

Kindergarten Students must be 5 by September 1 and be completely toilet trained.

2. Catholic School Health Report & Immunization Record:

All new students must have a recent physical (within the last 12 months) documented on the Catholic School Health Report Form.   If your student is in 6th-8th grade and will be playing sports, the physical must be completed after June 1st .  Only an original physician signature is acceptable.  The form can be found at www.holytcs.org under Current Families/Forms & Flyers.

A complete physician issued immunization record must be submitted, as part of the Health Report, to the school office by August 1st. No student will be allowed to begin school until the immunization record is received and approved by the school nurse.

Note: The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth does not accept immunization waivers for “Reasons of Conscience”. See Qualifications Section below.

3. Copy of Baptismal & First Communion certificates (if applicable):

If you have received one or both of these sacraments, please provide a copy of the certificate to the school by August 1st.

4. Authorization for Release of Student Records (1st – 8th)
5. Custody Records:

For safety purposes, the school is required to have a copy of custody papers on file to ensure all legal decisions are followed and enforced.

Admissions Status Tracking
After your application is submitted online, you may view your application status by accessing your account with your username and password at www.holytcs.org and selecting New Students/Apply Online/Online Application/Login.       

Qualifications:

In accordance with the Texas Catholic Conference accreditation standards, Holy Trinity Catholic School complies with all age and immunization requirements of the State of Texas and the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth. Every student enrolled in a Catholic School in the State of Texas shall be immunized against vaccine preventable diseases caused by infectious agents in accordance with the immunization schedule adopted by the Texas Department of State Health Services. A student who fails to 62 present the required evidence shall not be accepted for enrollment. The only exception to the foregoing requirement is a medical exemption signed by a licensed physician (M.D. or D.O.) authorized to practice in the State of Texas. This policy was adopted by Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department, December 2008 and voted on April 3, 2017 to keep as written with no changes. For current immunization information and minimum requirements, changes and explanations after this manual was printed, contact the Immunization Division, Texas Department of State Health Services. Online: www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/default.shtm OR http://www.immunizetexas.com Phone: 512.458.7284 ext. 2316 OR 1.800.252.9152 Regional Texas Department of State Health Services: The Texas Department of State Health Services maintains regional offices for the 11 Public Health Regions. Regional offices can assist with minimum immunization requirement information and literature and in some cases may provide immunization clinics in your school. To determine your region: Online: www.dshs.state.tx.us/regions/default.shtm Phone: 1.888.963.7111 (toll free) or 512.458.7111

Provisional enrollment:

All immunizations should be completed by the first date of attendance. The law requires that students by fully vaccinated against the specified diseases. A student may be enrolled provisionally if the student has an immunization record that indicates the student has received at least one dose of each specified age-appropriate vaccine required by this rule. To remain enrolled, the student must complete the required subsequent does in each vaccine series on schedule and as rapidly as is medically feasible and provide acceptable evidence of vaccination to the school. A school nurse or school administrator shall review the immunization status of provisionally enrolled student every 30 days to ensure continued compliance in completing the required doses of vaccination. If, at the end of the 30-day period, a student has not received a subsequent dose of vaccine, the student is not in compliance and the school shall exclude the student from school attendance until the required dose is administered.

Children entering Pre-Kindergarten must be 4 years of age by September 1st of that school year.  Children entering Kindergarten must be 5 years of age by September 1st of that school year.  Children entering 1st grade must be 6 years of age by September 1st of that school year.  Holy Trinity Catholic School cannot make any exceptions to these regulations.

As a Catholic, non-public school dedicated to academic excellence within a disciplined, value-centered environment, the school actively seeks students and families who have a positive attitude toward the value of a Catholic education.  The most important qualification for acceptance into the school is the principal’s assurance that the applicant will have a successful school experience.  This evaluation is made in consultation with the family, through examination of the student’s assessment results as well as past academic and conduct records, which must be provided by the parents prior to admission. All reports from professional assessments (academic, behavioral, emotional or developmental) MUST be provided at the time of application for admission. All new students are admitted conditionally for the first 9 weeks. 

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY:

Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth schools admit students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Religious educational institutions are exempt from Civil Rights legislation in the employment and enrollment of individuals of a particular religious persuasion. Preference in employment and admissions may be given to Catholic staff and students in the Catholic Schools of the Diocese.

ADMISSION OF STUDENTS:

It is a privilege and a grace to be educated in a Catholic school. The schools and
the Diocese retain the right to disallow a student to attend, continue attending, or to reenroll in a school. Any enrollment prior to the first day of school, including but not limited to advanced enrollment, pre-enrollment, or continuing enrollment of a student, is a conditional enrollment subject to review and termination by the school at any time. Prior to the first day of school, the school does not have to state the reasons, or have grounds, for revoking or denying a conditional enrollment of a student. The school does not have to state the reasons for denying enrollment of a student at any point during the year. The conduct of a student or a parent/guardian of the student (including any lifestyle, other conduct, or advocacy of a matter that is contrary to the Catholic faith or that may cause scandal, disruption, or confusion within the school community) may be grounds for the school revoking or denying the enrollment of a student at any time. 1 All decisions of admission, including revocation of admission, are guided by the Catholic faith and are necessarily ecclesiastical in nature.
Students should not be denied admission to a Catholic school because of a disability unless the disability seriously impairs the student’s ability to successfully complete the school’s academic program or unless the school cannot provide sufficient care or provide reasonable accommodation for the student. The determination as to whether the school may provide reasonable accommodations for the student or applicant is made on a case-by-case basis. Under some circumstances, medically justifiable limitations may be placed on the admission/retention of students with infectious diseases and/or life-threatening illnesses. International Students may be admitted in accordance with the requirements of the United States Department of Justice and the Department of Immigration and Naturalization. Students seeking admission under F-1 status must request an I 20 form from the Catholic Schools Office.
The enrollment or registration and attendance of a student at a Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth school constitutes an expressed agreement on the part of the student, as well as the student’s parents/guardians, to comply with the school’s policies and procedures and demonstrate commitment to the school’s mission. Failure to read the material contained in the handbook does not excuse the student or the student’s parents/guardians from responsibility for knowing and following the policies, procedures, and regulations in the handbook.
Students applying for admission must present a copy of the current report card and standardized test results. These will be reviewed to determine whether the program the school will meet the educational needs of the students. An interview with the student is part of the admission process. Testing in certain academic areas may be held for new, incoming students. All new students will be given a probationary period of one semester. If during this probationary period there are any concerns, a student may be asked to withdraw from the school. The recommendation and decision of the school is final.
MISSON POLICY IN RELATION TO ADMISSIONS
Parents of students enrolling their children in a Catholic school must understand,
affirm, and support the school’s role and primary mission as guided by the
teachings of the Catholic Church. Parents must acknowledge that they have read
and understand, affirm, and support the expectations and the mission of the school as guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church. Parents or students who the school determines are not able to meet these expectations or support the mission of the school and teachings of the Catholic Church may not be admitted to the school. Students who are experiencing confusion regarding their sexual identity may be admitted as long as they are open to being accompanied and guided according to the Gospel as upheld in the teachings of the Catholic Church and will follow the mission and policies of the school. Any student whose gender has been legally changed from their biological sex, or who has chemically or surgically altered their God-given biology, may not be eligible for enrollment.
WITHDRAWAL
If at any time before or after admission the school believes that a student or
parent/guardian of a student cannot accept the guidance and direction that is
offered, is unwilling or unable to meet the expectations of admission, or is
unwilling or unable to follow the Gospel as upheld in the teachings of the Catholic Church or the mission or policies of the school, then denial of enrollment, withdrawal, exclusion, or expulsion may be necessary. If a student or
parent/guardian acts to legally change the student’s gender or takes steps to
chemically or surgically alter the student’s God-given biological sex, then the
student will be dismissed from the school, after the parent/guardian is first given the opportunity to withdraw the student from the school.
IMPLEMENTATION:
PRIVILEGE
Being educated in a Catholic school is a grace and a privilege, not a right of the
student. The conduct of a student or a parent/guardian of the student (including any lifestyle, other conduct, or advocacy of a matter that is contrary to the Catholic faith or that may cause scandal, disruption, or confusion within the school community) may cause the student to lose the privilege of attending a Catholic school.
PARISHIONERS – NON-PARISHIONERS:
A parish school’s admission policy should give preference to parishioners. Students from other parishes are to be admitted, if possible. Students of other religious beliefs may be admitted, if space permits.
AGE:
Policies regarding age of entry are determined by the TCCBED policy, and the
State of Texas. All dates refer to the year of the student’s entry into a specific grade level.

• 3K: A child must attain the age of 3 on or before September 1 st .
• 4K. A child must attain the age of 4 on or before September 1 st .
• Kindergarten – A child shall have attained the age of five (5) years on or before September 1 st . This includes children who have been enrolled in pre-school programs, i.e. 3K and 4K. Participation in a school’s 4K program does not ensure acceptance into Kindergarten.
• First Grade: A child shall have attained the age of six (6) years on or before September 1 st .

The child’s birth certificate shall be required for verification of age before he/she is enrolled. An exception may be made by the principal if children (1) have been
enrolled in the first grade in another state prior to transferring to a school in Texas
or (2) have attended a full school term in a Kindergarten program in another state
that admits children who are under five years of age into the Kindergarten program.
The ability of a new student to achieve at a specific grade level, particularly when
he/she is entering from a non-accredited school, shall be determined by conference
with the parents and with the former teacher (if possible) and/or by the results of a standardized achievement test/evaluation which the receiving school administers.

1 Whether conduct of a parent/guardian or student (including lifestyle, other conduct, or advocacy of a matter
contrary to the Catholic faith or that may cause scandal, disruption, or confusion within the school community) is
disqualifying for enrollment purposes is a decision that will be made based on various factors. Not all conduct of the
sort will necessarily result in disqualification from enrollment if the parent/guardian or student strives to live in
accordance with the Catholic faith and complies with the mission policy. On the other hand, such conduct that is a
rejection of Church teaching, whether explicitly or implicitly, may not necessarily be afforded leniency. Catholic
schools in the Diocese of Fort Worth will exercise their responsibility to teach Catholic faith and morals in the
fullness of truth and charity, especially as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, regardless of the
views or wishes of the parent/guardian or student.