Admission Policy
St. Thomas Catholic School shares the vision that admission to the school be limited to children of families who have a strong commitment to the community of Christian faith that the school represents and the highest ideals of morality that sustain that community, and the vision of Catholic education and formation.
No student shall be refused admission to St. Thomas Catholic School on the basis of race, color, gender, national, or ethnic origin. Students with special needs shall be included whenever possible. No student shall be refused admission to St. Thomas Catholic School no matter his or her immigration status. St. Thomas Catholic School complies with all applicable federal and state laws, including all Federal and State Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Laws and Regulations regarding admissions. Please refer to OCS Policy D-111 on the Catholic Diocese of Peoria website at www.cdop.org for additional information regarding this policy.
It is understood that all students requesting admission to the school shall meet the age and grade requirements in addition to the stated admissions policy of St. Thomas Catholic School. Students entering in kindergarten must be five years of age by September 1.
All students currently enrolled will be admitted before any other priorities are considered. This means that a currently enrolled non-Catholic student will not be dismissed to admit a new Catholic student.
Students requiring retention shall not be refused a place in a class even if the retention causes the class size to exceed the limit.
Required at time of enrollment:
· Birth Certificate
· Baptismal Certificate (if Catholic)
· Record of immunizations must be submitted by all new students before school begins;
immunization records must be current prior to the first day of the school year
· Proof of health exam for all students entering school for the first time and in grade 6
· Proof of vision exam by October 15th for students entering Kindergarten
· Proof of dental exam by April 15th for students entering Kindergarten and grades 2 and 6
· All students entering grade 6 must have the Hepatitis B vaccination series
· See Health Forms, Physicals, and Screenings in this section of the handbook for more
information
As part of the admission process, families agree to maintain a commitment to the mission, goals, and religious values of St. Thomas Catholic School through support of the policies in the Parent/Student Handbook.
Students transferring from other schools must have a record free of major disciplinary incidents (e.g. suspension, expulsion, major infractions of school rules). In addition, if the information gathered indicates that St. Thomas Catholic School does not have the educational program to best serve the academic, behavioral, or social/emotional needs of the student, the student will not be accepted for admission. Requests for transferring between area Catholic schools is strongly discouraged.
Conditional admission, such as a probation period of one (1) grading period, will be required for transferring students, dependent upon individual considerations.
It is the responsibility of the principal to ensure that all admission policies are followed. Contact the school office with any questions or for more information.
Admission Process
Admission decisions for students transferring from another school or seeking re-entry into
St. Thomas Catholic School shall be made by the school principal and the pastor. Students seeking transfer or re-entry admission must provide records of previous academic and behavior history to the St. Thomas Catholic School office before acceptance is considered. They may also be asked to provide letters of referral from their previous school.
The admissions process includes:
· A school tour followed by an interview with the principal
· A thorough review of all prior academic and behavior records (e.g. transcripts,
standardized test scores, IEPs, 504 Plans, behavior plans and/or behavior
documentation, attendance records, etc.)
· A Shadow Day is often recommended if school is in session wherein the prospective
student spends the day (or half day) at St. Thomas Catholic School
· Outreach to the prior school may be done
· Submission of all required registration forms, creation of an online FACTS account, and
payment of the Registration Fee
Priority Admission Procedures
If maximum class size is approached at any grade level and there are more applicants than space available, the following admission priority procedures will take effect as follows, in descending order of preference:
1. Children who are currently enrolled;
2. Children of active parishioners; “active parishioner” is defined as those who are registered
members of and who actively participate in the Parish community of St. Thomas Philo, St.
Mary’s Pesotum, St. Joseph’s Ivesdale, St. Patrick’s Tolono, or St. Patrick’s Urbana
spiritually by conscientiously attending Mass and participating in the sacramental life of
the Church, financially by contributing to the support of the Parish to the best of their
ability through annual sacrificial giving, and by sharing a commitment of time and talent;
3. Children of active parishioners who recently moved into the parish;
4. Children transferring from a public school whose parents/guardians are active parishioners;
5. Children transferring from a Catholic school whose parents/guardians are Catholic and members of another parish;
6. Children transferring from a public school whose parents/guardians are Catholic and members of another parish; and
7. Children transferring from a public school whose parents/guardians are non-Catholic.
To begin the registration process, please call the school office at 217-684-2309.