Head of School Search

Fall 2026

• September 17: Head of School Transition and Search Announced
• September 28: Interim Head of School and Search Partner, Spencer Stuart, Announced

Dear McDonogh Community,

Every school community moves through seasons of celebration and change. Today, we write with news that carries something of both. Dave Farace '87 has shared that he will step down as Head of School at the end of the 2026-2027 school year.

As our 13th Head of School, Dave has led with both care and conviction, willing to make hard decisions while never losing sight of the people at the center of them, and always pushing McDonogh forward while protecting what makes the School special. His legacy is defined by his deep and unwavering commitment.

Under Dave's leadership, McDonogh completed a $97 million capital and endowment campaign — the largest in the School's history — that delivered a new 66,000-square-foot Middle School building; nearly doubled the School's endowment from $98 million to $188 million; and reduced School debt by 36%. He strengthened the academic program with three signature offerings in Experiential Service-Learning, Environmental Science, and Civic Leadership; moved the Upper School beyond the AP curriculum; launched a dual credit program that allows students to earn college credits from local colleges and universities; and built a faculty growth system centered on goal-setting and professional learning. Enrollment reached a record high; McDonogh athletics earned 25 IAAM and MIAA championships with more than 175 students going on to play the sport they love in college in the past five years; and the School was awarded back-to-back recognition as USA Today's No. 1 school for athletics in Maryland in 2025 and 2026. These accomplishments were matched by the countless everyday moments — the decisions, conversations, and quiet acts of leadership — that shaped McDonogh just as profoundly.

What makes these accomplishments all the more remarkable is the backdrop against which Dave achieved them. He guided McDonogh through challenges few leaders face in an entire career: a global pandemic, a period of deep political and racial unrest, economic headwinds, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies reshaping how schools operate. Through it all, Dave's leadership has embodied our mission to give something more than we take.

For Dave, this decision comes from a place of both pride and possibility. Having helped lead McDonogh to its current position of strength, he feels the time is right to take on a new challenge and bring what he has accomplished here to another school community. He does so with a full heart. Leaving McDonogh is not easy, and his affection for the School runs deep. But Dave also believes, as we do, that some of the most important work a leader does is knowing when the moment is right to entrust the role to someone new, and having the wisdom to act on it. A change in leadership is healthy for a thriving institution, and the best time to make one is from a position of strength rather than necessity. This timing also reflects a natural transition point for McDonogh, with a major campaign complete, a new academic strategic plan launched, and a strong leadership team in place. Dave will move on knowing McDonogh is healthy and well-positioned for what comes next, and he moves forward genuinely ready to support another school as he has led ours.

Rest assured that there will be opportunities to celebrate Dave and his lasting impact on McDonogh throughout the remainder of this school year.

Looking Ahead

The Board of Trustees is now tasked with the important responsibility of selecting McDonogh's next Head of School. As a nationally recognized leader in education, we anticipate that McDonogh will attract exceptional candidates.

To lead this important work, the Board has appointed Stacey Boyer '76 to chair our Head of School Search Committee. This is one of the most important responsibilities we carry as a Board, and we are committed to a diligent, thoughtful, and inclusive process. We will share more information about the search in the weeks ahead.

A school is never the work of one person, but the right leader at the right moment can help it reach new heights. Dave has been that person for McDonogh. We thank him for all he has given, and we look ahead with gratitude, pride, and optimism.

With appreciation,

Michael Cummings
President, Board of Trustees

H. Stacey Boyer '76
Vice President, Board of Trustees

Dear McDonogh Community,

There is no place like McDonogh, a school where joy meets purpose every day. It is because I believe that so completely that this is hard news to share.

I am writing to let you know that at the end of this school year, on June 30, I will conclude my service as Head of School at McDonogh.

Forty years ago, McDonogh welcomed me as a seventh-grade scholarship student, the son of a police officer whose family could not afford to enroll me without generous financial aid. What happened next shaped everything that came after: mentors who took me seriously, an abundance of opportunities both in and out of the classroom, and best friends I still have today. I have spent my professional life trying to create that same experience for others, and I have been extraordinarily fortunate to do it here.

Why leave, then? The honest answer is that after nine years, I believe McDonogh is strong — financially, academically, and culturally — and that the School will benefit from a new voice and a fresh set of questions. I also have one more chapter of this work in me, and I'm ready to support another school, The Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida, on its journey. Leaving a place you love while it is thriving is harder than leaving one that needs you. It is also, I think, the right way to go.

Between now and the end of June, nothing changes. I am committed to the full academic year — to the students in our care, to the initiatives already underway, and to working closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure a seamless transition to McDonogh's next leader.

My gratitude runs deep. To our three Board Presidents, the late Howard Klein '76, Rob Young '86, and Mike Cummings, and to every trustee I have served alongside: thank you for governance that was rigorous, generous, and always focused on students. To our administrative team, faculty, and staff: you are the finest educators and professionals I have worked with anywhere, and what you do every day cannot be automated, rushed, or replaced. And to our students — talented, accomplished, honorable, and above all committed to a culture of kindness — you are the reason any of this matters.

I will always bleed orange and black, and I cannot wait to watch McDonogh continue to soar.

Today and always, it is a great day to be an Eagle.

With respect and love,

David J. Farace '87
Head of School