FAQ

List of 9 frequently asked questions.

• Why proceed with this project now?

  Our Upper School athletic facilities have served Holy Trinity for the past 18 years and are an integral part of our student life. However, as it stands now, our students are not able to have the exceptional experience that is consistent with all other aspects of school life. In fact, many competitors and visitors have deemed our athletic facilities at Catherine A. Ford Field unacceptable and/or unsafe for play.

   

  Currently, there is an overutilization of all HT athletic facilities, including the gym and locker rooms, which are used for Physical Education every period of the school day. When that level of daily use, combined with the needs of every athletic team, often with concurrent games, it is clear that our current facilities can no longer adequately sustain this extreme demand.

   

  The completion of Phase 1 will provide our current and next generation of student-athletes with much needed, high-quality facilities and playing surfaces, as well as additional parking, lighting and sidewalks for their safety.

• A few years ago, I heard we were planning to consolidate campuses at the Pineda location. What happened to that plan?

  Five years ago, an aggressive plan for HT expansion was launched to include not only consolidating our two campuses, but also the creation of an athletic dome. This plan ultimately proved to be too ambitious and the Board of Trustees brought the campaign to a halt. 

   

  It was determined over the course of the past two years that a carefully planned series of smaller campaigns, completed in phases, would be more successful — and are more typical of schools similar to Holy Trinity.

   

  Phase 1: Tiger Athletic Complex and Phase 2: IDEAS Institute were determined to be priorities as it was felt that it would not be prudent to relocate the Lower School to the Pineda campus until we had provided adequate infrastructure. We are currently working on a master facilities plan that will accommodate future expansion of the Lower School to the Pineda campus.

• What do the plans for Phase 2 consist of?

  Upon completion of Phase 1, Holy Trinity will pursue building a multi-story IDEAS (Innovation, Design, Entrepreneurship, and Applied Solutions) Institute to house 21^st century learning programs focused on collaboration and innovation. Specific plans for the development of Phase 2 will take place during the construction of Phase 1.

• Why does “everything” at Holy Trinity seem to revolve around athletics?

  As a college preparatory school, our superior academic curriculum will continue to remain our priority; however, athletics are also an integral part of Holy Trinity’s mission – to educate the whole child – mind, body, and spirit. 

   

  Students at Holy Trinity are highly engaged in athletics, as 86% of our secondary students participate on a sports team. In addition, 10 extracurricular sports are offered at the Lower School. Physical Education classes are a part of our daily curriculum for grades K-8 and many high school students participate in PE as well.

   

  The education of the whole child is impossible without the development of a sound body. Developing teamwork and sportsmanship are also fundamental pieces of whole child development. Athletic events also foster a sense of school spirit and provide our students with social outlet in which to support their school and their schoolmates.

• Are you going to raise tuition to pay for the Tiger Athletic Complex or Phase 2?

  Our desire is to raise all of the funds through private giving.

• Why do we need to raise money to pay for the Tiger Athletic Complex?

  Private giving has provided funding for all Holy Trinity facilities to date and continues to be necessary to ensure the growth of our school for generations of students to come. Our capital expenses are carried exclusively by the school through donations, as we receive no money from the State or Episcopal Diocese.

• The amount I can give won’t make much of a difference. Why should I participate?

  The cumulative effect of giving is powerful and every gift leads us closer to our goals! When you give, you’ll have the satisfaction of joining with other school families to make Holy Trinity a better place for our students.

• Why install artificial turf instead of a grass field?

  Synthetic turf fields provide many benefits, first and foremost, athlete safety. Synthetic turf is meant to withstand significant use as well as heavy rainfall without producing divots, ruts or erosion, all of which can create an uneven playing surface and unsafe playing conditions. Synthetic turf requires no watering or fertilizer, and does not attract pests as grass fields do. Artificial surfaces do not need to be frequently repainted, therefore the surface is always in play, meaning less down time for PE classes and team practices.

• Can we add a pool to the plans?

  No, not at this time. The capital campaign has been thoroughly and thoughtfully prioritized to account for our most immediate needs and those that address the greatest number of students. Collectively, the largest percentage of student athletes will benefit from enhancements at Catherine A. Ford Field, as this area incorporates track and field, football, lacrosse, soccer and cross country. Proportional to the number of students impacted, the cost to install a swimming pool, as well as the space needed for such a facility, does not place a swim complex at the top of the priority list.

   

  Our priorities for the capital campaign are: 1) To enhance and improve Upper School athletic facilities to include the field house, track and field refurbishment, as well as more parking, sidewalks and lighting, 2) build the IDEAS Institute and 3) the proposed relocation of the Lower School to the Pineda Campus.