Elmira Notre Dame High School‘s board of trustees announced April 8 that its longtime principal, Sister of Mercy Mary Walter Hickey, has been named to the newly created position of school president.
A national search for a new principal is expected to be completed before the start of the 2008-09 school year. Sister Hickey — who came to Elmira Notre Dame in 1972 and became principal in 1975 — will continue as principal until the naming of her successor, who she said will hopefully be on board by July or August. Sister Hickey told the Courier that she will assume the full-time presidency once that occurs, and that in the meantime she is holding the dual roles of principal and president.
The move is part of the school’s strategic plan, which involves Sister Hickey taking on more of a role in ensuring the school’s long-term financial stability. In her role as president, Sister Hickey will help create an endowment fund and also will develop fundraising opportunities to help expand academic programs and student scholarships.
Sister Hickey declined to give financial details of the endowment campaign until its quiet phase has been completed.
“However, I can say that we want to have sufficient income from the fund to be able to cover the scholarships and financial aid that will be dispersed with our new ‘needs-based, cost-based tuition,'” she said, adding that “the funding of programs is also essential.”
This story was updated on April 10, 2008.
