COO Update

We are excited to share updates from the first half of the 2025-2026 school year as we continue to live out our mission of forming disciples of Jesus Christ in a community of Catholic faith, knowledge, and service. The details below highlight some of the exciting developments across our school community. As always, thank you all for your ongoing support of Peoria Notre Dame.

Our most recent Consultative Board meeting took place on February 17, 2026. The board has been hard at work on multiple initiatives. Some of those details are below, and we're looking forward to continuing to share information about the vision and future of Peoria Notre Dame soon.

Thank you to the previous consultative board members who have fulfilled their terms: Dr. Phil Adams, Paula Davis, Kate Socha, and Liz Wilson. We appreciate your service to PND!

We welcomed Mitch Gilfillan and Kevin Shields as new members of the board, and are also grateful to those serving as our priest liaisons including Monsignor Gray, Fr. Henehan, and Fr. Spannagel.

• Peoria Notre Dame was named to the 2025 AP School Bronze Honor Roll in the fall. This means that last school year, of our graduating seniors, 46% of seniors took at least one AP Exam during high school (Bronze level), 42% of seniors scored a three or higher on at least one AP Exam (Gold level), and 21% of seniors took five or more AP Exams (Platinum level).
• Senior Henry Olsen was named a National Merit Finalist. Henry is one of only 15,000 finalists in the country and was identified for this honor due to a high GPA and outstanding PSAT score.
• 17 of our seniors were named Illinois State Scholars!
• During Winterim, we were excited to offer internships to both juniors and seniors, which led to 15 students interning in the community. Our students enjoyed the two weeks learning new skills like quilting, crocheting, rock-climbing, ceramics, and more.
• March 24th, all juniors take the ACT here at PND. We are looking forward to sharing scores as we receive them.
• Our Student Support Services excels each semester.
• 46 students currently benefit from individualized service plans.
• 28 students receive ESL accommodations.
• A peer tutoring program was launched and has expanded into in-class support, with peer tutors pushing into math classrooms to provide additional help.
• Our ESL support capacity increased at the beginning of February when Mrs. Cottingham became ESL-endorsed, strengthening services for multilingual learners.

• ShamRock kicked off the fall sport season with 1,228 attendees. We were grateful for the presence of seven priests from local parishes who attended and led our teams in prayer before scrimmages.
• Grandparents' Day Mass filled the auditorium and offered an opportunity to celebrate multiple generations in the building together.
• The PND Golf Classic raised $70,545, marking a record-breaking year and the highest total ever raised for this event.
• Our 12 Days of Christmas Cash and Car Raffle generated $80,000 in profit.
• Looking ahead, our spring gala, PND Goes for Gold, will take place on March 21, and we are excited to gather our community in support of the mission of PND. There are a few tables left so please register by visiting this link if you would like to be a part of this special night.

• On February 9th, Bishop Tylka announced that the Holy See will proceed with the beatification of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a historic moment for our community and something our school is looking forward to celebrate.
• Faith remains central at PND, with daily access to the sacraments, supporting spiritual life of both students and staff.
• Small groups expanded significantly this year, with 10 faculty and staff led groups meeting biweekly and 139 students participating.
• 39 students attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C., including Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and visits to national monuments and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
• During Lent, students are participating in Exodus and Magnify groups to encourage accountability and spiritual growth.

• We are expecting the Class of 2030 to be around 146 students, which would be our largest class.
• Total enrollment will increase for the fourth consecutive year.

• Priority projects completed include replacing 2 of 5 rooftop HVAC units, securing doors, updating campus lighting, replacing the fire panel and domestic hot water storage tank.
• The weight room received a full renovation, including new lighting, paint, equipment, a sound system, and an app-based progress tracking system.
• The track facility was improved with new concrete pads and dedicated bleacher seating for track and field events.
• 6 new robotic kits were purchased to enhance the engineering program.
• New technology was added to support the Advanced Digital Media - Podcasting course.

• The 2026-2027 budget has been reviewed by the Finance Committee and approved by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria. We remain committed to financial responsibility and sustainability.
• Our fiscal year 2025 external audit is ongoing.

• House Time remains active, with student-led activities 3 to 4 times per month, including service visits, prayer in the chapel, and games during advisory.
• A spring phone-free initiative launched with flexible commitment options; student well-being is being measured through pre and post-participation surveys.
• 3 students were confirmed in early February at St. Philomena Parish.
• School spirit was strong during Homecoming Week and Catholic Schools Week, with more events ahead, including Vice Versa, Prom, Sheen Day, and Senior Honors Day.
• Athletics Highlights - Fall and Winter:
• Boys Cross Country: 5th at State
• Girls Cross Country: 11th at State
• Boys Golf: Conference Champions, one State qualifier
• Girls Golf: Sectional qualifiers
• Football: 8-3 record, first-round playoff win
• Boys Soccer: Conference co-champions
• Girls Swim: Two freshmen State qualifiers, 5th at Sectionals
• Girls Tennis: Sent two to State
• Volleyball: Regional Champions, advanced to Sectional Championship; tied for best season in school history
• Fine arts continue to thrive: successful double Shakespeare fall play, Henry Olsen in All-State honors Chorus for the third consecutive year, and 19 student artists in the University of Illinois Small Works Show.

As we round out the school year, please keep the Peoria Notre Dame community in your prayers. We are grateful for your partnership as we continue forming disciples of Jesus Christ.

God bless,