Notre Dame Prep Publicly Launches Historic Comprehensive Sprint Campaign to Build New Student Commons and Strengthen Annual Fund

Notre Dame Preparatory School (NDP) has announced a $6.5 million campaign to replace the campus’s original 1960s dining hall with a modern Student Commons and kitchen, while simultaneously growing the school’s annual fund. Spanning just one year, Common Ground: Building NDP’s Future is the shortest campaign in the school’s history and has already garnered unprecedented community support, highlighted by two landmark $1 million leadership commitments.

“The future we envision for Notre Dame Preparatory School requires thoughtful investment today, and we believe deeply that there is no greater gift we can offer than a learning environment where young women are empowered to grow in intellect, faith, leadership and service,” said Dr. Angela Allen, head of school. “This accelerated campaign unites two essential goals: renewing the central gathering space of our campus and sustaining the vibrant daily life of our school through increased philanthropic support to The Fund for Notre Dame Prep.”

With the campaign entering its public phase on February 4, 2026, the school invites community members to help bring this vision to life by offering their support.

Leadership support for this campaign is unprecedented, given the short timeline to raise funds for the project. Of note are the two $1 million leadership commitments to the campaign, including one from the Huffman Family Foundation. To honor the generosity of Richard and Dawn Huffman (parents of Addison ’26), the school is proud to announce that the new space will be known as the Huffman Commons.

“Notre Dame Prep has given our daughter—and so many young women—the confidence, faith and sense of belonging that will carry them far beyond graduation,” shared Mr. and Mrs. Huffman. “As parents of a senior, we see every day how powerful it is when girls are given spaces that reflect the value of their voices and their futures. Girls’ schools deserve the same caliber of facilities and philanthropic investment as boys’ schools, and this new Student Commons will be a place where community, leadership and faith come together to support generations of NDP students to come.”

The second commitment is from the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND), who founded and continue to sponsor the school. For NDP, the SSND commitment is deeply significant, as it is the largest single commitment the order has ever made to the school.

“The charism of the School Sisters of Notre Dame is alive and well in the living community of Notre Dame Preparatory School,” said Sister Nancy Gilchriest, SSND, provincial leader for the SSND Atlantic-Midwest Province. “The SSND recognizes that the renovation of the campus’s existing dining room will allow for greater community experiences to thrive.”
 
“With the installation of Dr. Angela Allen, NDP’s first lay leader in the school’s 153-year history, the last provincial council saw the positive impact of building a new Student Commons on the school campus and for our students as a visible sign of SSND’s continued support,” added Sister Charmaine Krohe, SSND, former provincial leader for the SSND Atlantic-Midwest Province. “I believe this project will ensure NDP remains a place for young women to grow in intellect, faith, leadership and service for years to come.”
 
The current kitchen and dining area maintain the original design and systems from when the campus was relocated from Baltimore City and built in 1960 in its present Towson location. The utility systems are outdated, and the servery configuration and meeting/gathering spaces do not meet current student needs. A modern, effective kitchen to provide for the nutritional and dietary needs of students and a more flexible, functional and welcoming gathering space will reflect the spirit, pace and energy of current NDP life.

“The mission of Notre Dame Prep has always centered on students at its vibrant core, so it makes sense that now is the critical time to reimagine and embrace a new Student Commons,” said Victoria B. Chou ’92, Ph.D., P’31, campaign co-chair. “The transformation of our 'heart of the home' will address not only our current but also our rapidly evolving needs to best serve our community looking toward the future."

Construction of the Huffman Commons represents a $10 million investment. Recognizing the opportunity of this moment, NDP committed an initial $5 million to bring this vision to life—inviting community and philanthropic partners to join the school in building what will shape generations of Blazers to come.

In addition to the capital support for the Huffman Commons, NDP is raising $1.5 million to strengthen The Fund for Notre Dame Prep, the school’s annual fund. This focus is designed to increase year-over-year growth which directly supports programs such as NDP’s STEAM and Humanities initiatives, competitive interscholastic sports and extracurricular arts ensembles, and transformational tuition assistance, such as The Rollins-Luetkemeyer Scholars Program, which helps bridge the affordability gap for middle-income families. The Fund for Notre Dame Prep is an investment in the people and programs that will transform the Huffman Commons into a vibrant center of learning, connection and community.

“The Common Ground campaign represents an investment in the heart of NDP,” said George Kilroy, P’88, P’96, GP’30, campaign co-chair and trustee. “As a grandfather and parent of two alumnae, I think often about the kind of communities we leave behind for the next generation, and I’m proud to support a campaign that puts students, connection and shared purpose at the center.”

Common Ground: Building NDP’s Future, which concludes June 30, 2026, is NDP’s sixth capital campaign effort, following campaigns in 1992, 1999, 2005, 2012, and 2018, which collectively raised $28.9 million. More information about this campaign may be found on the school’s website at notredameprep.com/common-ground.
For more than 150 years, Notre Dame Preparatory School has remained rooted in the tradition of outstanding liberal arts education while being responsive to the educational needs of the times. A comprehensive STEAM program, the Bette Ellis O’Conor Humanities Program, 26 Advanced Placement courses, a robust internship program, vibrant extracurricular offerings, dual-enrollment college courses and a dual focus on spirituality and service complement NDP’s curriculum. They also cement NDP’s success as a two-time honoree as a National Blue Ribbon School for Excellence, Niche.com’s #1 Baltimore Catholic School for Girls and numerous other regional awards.

Founded in 1873 and sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Notre Dame Preparatory School is a Catholic, independent college preparatory school of 818 girls in grades 6–12. NDP dedicates itself to a three-part mission of academic excellence, spiritual growth and the practice of justice to educate young women to transform the world.

Notre Dame Preparatory School

A Catholic, independent college preparatory school for girls in grades 6–12, sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame