Montville - When Thomas J. Doherty III walks through the doors of St. Bernard School, he thinks of his own ideas and vision for the private co-educational school.

Doherty, 34, the new headmaster at St. Bernard, is also mindful to emphasize the things the school has done well for years.

"We have great, deep roots here," Doherty said of the school that started in 1956 in New London as an all-girls school. "We believe in teaching the gospel message and really transforming young kids at the start into men and women."

Doherty took the place of retiring headmaster William McKenna and started his new post officially on July 1.

Although the Diocese of Norwich considered selling St. Bernard as recently as 2008, Michael Strammiello, a spokesman for the diocese, said the school has "weathered that period well." Despite interest from the Mohegan Tribe and other developers, the school is still nestled on a hill on Route 32 in the Uncasville section of town.

Strammiello said talk of selling the school was not unexpected given the downturn in the economy. He said he did not expect similar conversations to resume about selling the school.

Nonetheless, the school's enrollment has room for growth, Strammiello said. This is an area in which Doherty brings experience.

He worked as the dean of mission and advancement at Lowell Catholic High School in Lowell, Mass. Doherty said Lowell Catholic - an urban school that "could have fit in the St. Bernard's parking lot" - was on the verge of shutting down during the early part of his tenure there.

He said he played a part in building the school's enrollment, from less than 250 to nearly 400 students.

St. Bernard's enrollment peaked at roughly 1,300 in the 1970s after the school moved to its current campus in 1972. Currently the school has about 400 students, with roughly 100 in the middle school and 300 in the high school. The school teaches students in Grades 6 through 12.

Students come from 58 towns throughout the state and Rhode Island, with the majority coming from the Groton and New London area, according to Cathy Brown, director of admissions. Tuition is approximately $10,000 per year, with discounts available for families who send multiple children to the school.

Doherty said it's no secret that enrollment has fallen off from where it was in the 1980s and '90s. He said many external factors, such as large companies moving jobs out of the region, have played a part.

Doherty believes that increasing enrollment starts with sharing the school's success stories.

"If we share the story of what a great place this is, some of that will happen naturally on its own," he said.

Doherty has also gone through some eventful times in his early days as headmaster.

He dealt with a brewing public controversy centered on the termination of St. Bernard athletic director and baseball coach Bill Buscetto. McKenna dismissed Buscetto in June.

In the weeks following the dismissal, Doherty said he spoke with numerous alumni, parents and students about Buscetto, who eventually declined an offer from Doherty to return to the school.

Doherty called the situation a "difficult thing to walk into," but he said it has not adversely affected the school. Recently, he hired Brendan Case, 26, as the new athletic director.

That ended about a two-week period in which Doherty was performing the duties of the athletic director in addition to his own job. Wearing several hats has never been a problem for him, Doherty's colleagues said.

"He's a very intelligent man and well-versed," said Maryellen DeMarco, the principal who worked with Doherty at Lowell Catholic High School. "He's one of those people who knows a little bit about everything."

For the time being, Doherty is also sticking with a hectic daily travel plan.

Each work day, he slides behind the wheel of his Volvo sedan at 4:30 a.m. On most days, he makes the 102-mile trip from his home in Concord, Mass., to the St. Bernard campus in less than two hours.

Doherty makes the same trip in reverse in the late afternoon. He plans to continue the commute as he settles into his new job.

In a recent conversation in his office, Doherty said he doesn't mind all the time on the road. He also said he's grown more and more pleased with his decision to come to St. Bernard.

Doherty was sold on the job at St. Bernard during one of his interviews last spring. He met with about 20 students and asked them if they would recommend the school to a friend. All said yes, leaving Doherty impressed that no student offered an indifferent answer.

His goal now is to create personal relationships with his students. He's already building a reputation for taking care of things personally.

"He's that kind of hands-on guy," Strammiello said. "He'll sit with (parents) and talk with them and understand what their concerns are. He has done that regularly."

jeff.johnson@theday.com

The new headmaster

Who: Thomas J. Doherty III

Age: 34

Education: Bachelor of Arts in theology and mathematics (Boston College). Master's of Science in elliptic curve cryptography (University of Notre Dame).