+ Where will Holy Trinity be located?
We’re fortunate that St. John’s in Effingham (901 W Jefferson Ave, Effingham, IL) has a Christian Education Building with ample space for the school to get started. The Facilities Committee for Holy Trinity is working with the Trustees of St. John’s in Effingham to form a lease agreement for the first years of operation. Leasing from St. John’s will give the high school access to a gymnasium, kitchen, music room, and most importantly a sanctuary. Working with an LCMS congregation will save the school money and be mutually beneficial. All of this, while being fairly centrally located between our area congregations. The school’s permanent location will be based on land availability, where the majority of students are coming from, and the best interest of the school’s longevity.
+ Will Holy Trinity be accredited through ISBE?
Yes, however the technical term for a private school is Recognized through ISBE. This is not required by the state of Illinois; It is voluntary. We will do this. Recognition will give the high school diplomas awarded to our graduates the same value as any other school. It will also allow us to join IHSA for sports and other extracurriculars. ( https://www.isbe.net/nonpublicprograms)
+ Will graduates of Holy Trinity receive a High School Diploma?
Yes, Recognition with ISBE will give the diplomas received from Holy Trinity the same status as any other high school diploma. ( https://www.isbe.net/nonpublicprograms)
+ What certifications will be required of the teachers at Holy Trinity?
Holy Trinity will seek out educators who are experts in their field . They will be required to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. As a parochial school Holy Trinity will be free to hire the most qualified, talented applicants. (The state of Illinois requires private school teachers to have a bachelor’s degree. https://www.isbe.net/nonpublicprograms)
+ Will Holy Trinity offer sports?
Of course! We will first offer individual sports and start team sports as soon as the interest and enrollment allows.
+ Will you co-op for team sports?
We have a subcommittee looking into this. We’re too early in the process to give a definitive answer, but it is not out of the question on our end.
+ Will there be dual credit options?
We would love to offer dual credit classes. We’re too early in the process to know if we can do that. It will largely depend upon staff. (Dual credit courses must be taught by someone with a Masters degree.) We will also look into working with Lakeland or other community colleges to provide those, but we don’t know yet.
+ What about Driver’s Ed?
It is very possible that Holy Trinity will offer Driver’s Ed! This requires filing paperwork with ISBE. Whether or not we are able to offer it will be dependent on finding a Driver’s Ed teacher. If we are unable to offer Driver’s Ed, we will work with the public school district the school is in (whether that be Effingham or Altamont school district) for our students to take the course. Public schools in Illinois are required to offer Driver’s Ed for parochial school students.
