Some parents at Notre Dame Academy are expressing concerns about the school’s executive and administrative operations following the unexpected resignation of Trish Miller, who was brought on as president less than a year ago on July 1, 2023.
“The recent resignations of the President and Principal of Notre Dame Academy over the past month have caused great concern across the Notre Dame community,” reads a petition circulated among the school’s parents. “These events bring into serious question the leadership of the Board and the governance of the organization.”
Miller unexpectedly resigned from her position at the all-girls Catholic school over the weekend, according to an email letter sent to the school’s parents on Saturday.
“While Mrs. Miller’s departure comes as a surprise, we want to express our deepest gratitude for her dedicated service and contributions to the advancement of NDA during her tenure,” said the email, which came from Mark Hausfeld, chair of the school’s board of directors.
The letter does not state the circumstances of Miller’s resignation, but the board of directors will oversee the process of finding a replacement, according to the email.
“We understand the importance of this process and are fully committed to identifying the best candidate to lead our school forward,” the email says.
Conversations that LINK nky had on background suggested that Miller may have expressed concerns about the school’s management of finances, but this has not been confirmed. LINK nky has reached out to Miller for comment.
The school is governed by the Sisters of Notre Dame, an independent sisterhood of nuns, which operates separately from the local Diocese. In February, one of the order’s schools, La Reina Catholic school in Thousand Oaks, Calif., closed amid declining enrollment and a $1.4 million budget deficit, an act that led to push back from the local community.
Notre Dame’s governing board’s operations are somewhat opaque, and the parents’ petition makes the case for greater transparency. To that end, it asks for the installation of two parents onto the governing board as non-voting members.
The school sent out a second letter on Wednesday, where it announced that Jane Kleier, the school’s chief communications officer, will serve as the school’s interim president until June 30 while the school searches for a permanent replacement. The letter also stated that Jack VonHandorf, who previously resigned as the principal of the school, had rescinded his resignation and will serve as the principal in the upcoming school year.
“The news of both Mrs. Kleier’s acceptance of the role of interim President of NDA and Mr. VonHandorf’s rescinded resignation was met with great acceptance and enthusiasm at a faculty/staff meeting this morning,” the Wednesday letter read. “We are confident that our stakeholders will share this enthusiasm, knowing that Mrs. Kleier and Mr. VonHandorf are committed to working collaboratively during this interim period to ensure the continued success and growth of NDA.”
In a media statement from the school, the board of directors addresses the questions of finances and operations.
“The Board of Directors understands that recent news may raise questions or concerns among its stakeholders and assures transparency and open communication throughout this period of transition,” the statement reads. “Please understand that NDA respects the privacy of its current and former employees and therefore does not discuss the details of private personnel matters. Continued support and trust in Notre Dame Academy are deeply appreciated.”
The statement goes on to say that “that Notre Dame Academy remains financially stable. The recent leadership transition at NDA was in no way influenced by financial considerations.”
This is a developing story, and LINK nky will update it as more information becomes available.