Notre Dame de la Baie Academy was established in 1990 when three former Catholic high schools, St. Joseph Academy (an all-girls school founded in 1896), Abbot Pennings High School (an all-boys school founded in 1898 as St. Norbert High School), and Our Lady of Premontre High School (an all-boys school founded in 1941 as Central Catholic High School that had recently turned co-ed), consolidated. The consolidation was necessary to provide the best high school education to area students. Students and staff from the previous three high schools joined together to create Notre Dame de la Baie Academy; they chose the school's name, colors, crest, and mascot with the mission of building upon the strong foundations established and built by Notre Dame's predecessor schools.