WEST HAVEN, Conn. — The historic Notre Dame High School in West Haven made a significant pivot on Wednesday, announcing that it will begin welcoming young women as students in the fall of 2025.
Since being established in 1946, the institution has been an all-boys Catholic school. Karen Pellegrino, the school’s director of communication and enrollment strategies, made the announcement on the school’s website.
When Notre Dame High School transitions to becoming a co-ed school in a year-and-a-half, 19 of the country’s 22 secondary and post-secondary academic institutions sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross will be co-educational.
“This is the result of the decision of the Board of Corporate Members to accept the unanimous recommendation of Notre Dame’s Board of Directors to begin admitting women,” Pellegrino wrote.
Pellegrino noted that French priest Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, which established the school, predicted in 1856 that education would change with the times but always remain the art of "helping young people to completeness."
“The decision allows Notre Dame to sustain and expand its mission and offer the distinctive academic opportunities of a Holy Cross education to talented young women as well as young men,” Pellegrino wrote.
She said the strong, value-based education the school has provided for more than 75 years is complimented by Signature Academic Programs that include the International Baccalaureate Program, an Engineering Program, a Sports, Exercise and Health Science Program, and NDXL, the school’s Experiential Education Program.
“This furthers the mission outlined by Moreau nearly two centuries ago,” Pelligrino wrote. “As Notre Dame becomes a co-ed school, one of the highest priorities will be maintaining the Holy Cross tradition and the four pillars of our educational model, which will benefit both male and female students.”
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Those four pillars include bringing hope, educating hearts and minds, building respect and being family.
The school is immediately welcoming inquiries for admission in the Fall of 2025 from all students, and the school’s website will frequently be updated with information about visit opportunities in the spring and summer.
One can email admissions@notredamehs.com to contact the Admissions Office or learn information about admissions. For more information on the school, Pelligrino can be reached at kpelligrino@notredamehs.com.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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