Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts

Frequently Asked Questions

TAPA stands for Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts. We are a public charter school located on the southside of Providence, Rhode Island. We provide an academically rigorous arts-integrated education in a small community setting.

The Theatre Annex Building is a historic space that was built as a Sunday school and performance hall in 1914, and was the original home of the Trinity Repertory Company. It is a 3-story brick and concrete neo-classical structure with a bow front and conical metal roof. At present TAPA opperates on the first two floors of this historic structure.

Charter schools are public schools. They are authorized by the State of Rhode Island to operate independently from many state and local district rules and regulations. As a result of this flexibility, charter school operations are allowed to pursue innovative educational strategies designed to meet specific student achievement goals and the objectives stated in their charter. Charter schools are publicly-funded, therefore they are tuition free.

Arts integration interconnects the subjects in the core curriculum (Math, English Language Arts, Science, History) and the arts (Music, Dance, Theatre, Film) . Arts integration uses the arts as the primary pathway to academic learning. At TAPA we believe that students who love the arts will love to learn academics through the arts. We bring the arts into the academic classroom as a tool to strengthen and deepen each student’s academic understanding and achievement. Students at TAPA also have the opportunity for an in-depth study of their chosen art form. For more information on TAPA's arts integration, see our Arts Integration page.

TAPA is a 7-12 public middle/high school. During the 2010-2011 school year we have had one class, consisting of 34 7th grade students. We will grow by one grade level each year.

Nope! As part of the public education system charter schools do not charge tuition.

All TAPA students must reside in Providence, R.I. Our students come from the many neighborhoods of Providence and reflect the city’s diverse population.

We accept enrollment applications throughout the school year. Our enrollment lottery takes place on March 1st of each year. Please see the Application section of our website.

Nope! All you have to do to enroll in TAPA is fill out a short application and then have your name chosen during our admissions lottery.

TAPA is an independent public charter school and does not belong to any district. It is considered its own district and because of this is listed as an LEA (Local Education Agency) by the RI Department of Education. TAPA has its own Board similar to the towns’ and cities’ school boards.

TAPA follows all of the regulations that the Department of Education requires of public schools. This means that, among other things, TAPA’s teachers are all qualified to teach their subject in the state of RI and TAPA students take the state NECAP.

A school bus pass is provided for all students who live 2 or more miles from TAPA.

Lunches are provided at school, and applications for eligibility for free or reduced-cost lunch will be collected at time of admission. Breakfast is provided free of charge to all students.

We are not a religious school. We get our name from the Trinity Theatre Building, which was the home of the original Trinity Repertory Company. Though we are not affiliated with Trinity Rep, our programs share the same roots.

Easy! Just email your question to ms.batista@tapaprovidence.org and we’ll get back to you ASAP.