Administration

Kathleen Faherty McNutt was named Bishop Ireton Head of School in May 2019. She has been an educator in Virginia for 32 years and has served the Diocese of Arlington as an educator and school administrator since 2009. She became a student in this diocese in 1977 when her family moved to Alexandria, attending St. Louis School. Mrs. McNutt is a proud graduate of St. Mary’s Academy (SMA ’87), the wife of a Bishop Ireton alum (Geoff '87), the sister of several Bishop Ireton graduates, and the mother of five Bishop Ireton graduates (Kaitlyn ’14, Megan ’16, Camryn ’18, Morgan ’19, Connor ’22). To add to the Cardinal legacy, her sons-in-law are BI ’14  ’16 and ’19 graduates. In addition to her nonstop work with the Bishop Ireton community, Mrs. McNutt enjoys time with and travel to see her family. 

 

Mrs. McNutt graduated Magna Cum Laude from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and Developmental Reading, and she obtained her Master of Education degree in Administration and Supervision from Marymount University, with a K-12 supervision and teaching license from the state of Virginia. Before coming to Bishop Ireton High School, Kathleen taught in public and private schools in Fairfax County and Stafford County; she worked for a government contracts law firm in Washington, DC; and she worked for The New Teacher Project Fellows Program. She managed multiple construction projects during her time as assistant principal and principal at St. Louis Catholic School in Alexandria, Virginia and was immersed in the 28mil construction project at Bishop Ireton upon arrival. She was instrumental in bringing special education services and inclusion to St. Louis School, and she implemented the new plan for Special Services programming at Bishop Ireton in 2019. She facilitated the Bishop Ireton COVID-19 School Plan, and she recently completed the management of the 2025 Bishop Ireton Chapel renovation project.

 

Mrs. McNutt’s engagement in the diocese has included Speaker and Mentor on Preschool Business Plan and Start-Up, Vice President of the Arlington Diocese Principals’ Association, Member of the Diocesan Educational Assessment Committee, Member of the Diocesan Covid-19 Response Task Force and Reintegration Working Group, Member of the Diocesan Security Task Force, Member of the Sexual Harassment Policy Working Group, and Member of the Diocesan Schools Enrollment Management Committee. She is currently on the executive board for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). In addition to her work with the diocese, Mrs. McNutt engages in community organizations, including her dedication to the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) as a deck official and a club board member, her support of the Knights of Columbus, and her beneficiary leadership work with multiple Eagle Scout projects.   

 

As Head of School, Mrs. McNutt is the leader and chief executive officer of Bishop Ireton, charged with facilitating the school’s mission and meeting the goals of the school’s long-term strategic plan. She works closely with the offices of the Diocese of Arlington and supervises all areas of Bishop Ireton’s policies and programming, Catholic identity and Salesian spirituality, fundraising, admissions, marketing and communications, facilities and building projects, financial planning and management, recruitment, alumni relations and athletics.