La Villa Sainte-Marcelline, a French-language private school where approximately 500 girls from kindergarten to secondary school in Montreal study, could be forced to leave its premises at the end of the school year.
Posted at 3:03 p.m.
Updated at 6:20 p.m.
The religious congregation that owns the premises has no intention of renewing the lease of the school given the costly work that must be done there and the difficult financial situation of the establishment.
“The structural and financial situation of the Villa is such that the Congregation faces the moral obligation to make a painful decision, but necessary for the safety of the students and staff,” reads a message to parents dated October 6.
The Sisters of Sainte-Marcelline say they have commissioned engineering reports which show “that approximately 12 to 16 million dollars must be invested to ensure the conformity and modernity of the buildings”. At the same time, the Congregation “struggles to support the Villa in a context where it is currently facing significant financial challenges”.
“It’s been a big panic since last Thursday,” said Jacinthe Laporte, mother of three girls who attend school. She says she has taken steps with two primary schools to send her children there if the Villa were to close.
“We would like to stay there, then at the same time we don’t want to be told at the last second that it won’t work,” she sighs.
Nina Gonzalez Bychkova, mother of a Villa Sainte-Marcelline student and herself a graduate of the establishment, says the school is unique: it develops general knowledge and promotes the values of sharing among young girls. “It’s a one-stop school. Just to think that this work is threatened breaks my heart. It is inconceivable. I have been going through all the emotions since Thursday, ”she says.
His daughter Maya Kent Bychkova, a fifth-grade elementary student, agrees. “It makes me so sad and I don’t want it to close. All my friends are at this school. My teachers are really nice and good,” she explains.
Possible solutions?
The general management of the Villa Sainte-Marcelline indicated on its website on Saturday that it “intends to support the initiatives of all the stakeholders promoting the sustainability of the institution”. A meeting of the board of directors is scheduled for October 13 “to address issues relating to the future of the institution”.
In its advice to parents, the Congregation says it has considered “all options”, including fundraising, but that this would be insufficient according to a feasibility study.
Isabelle Roy, President of the Association of Alumni and member of the Villa’s Board of Directors, however, assures that there are “possible solutions” which remain, contrary to what the Congregation asserts, and that the Board study them seriously. “We don’t give up,” she says.
In a press release sent to the media on Tuesday afternoon, the Congregation repeated that it had made a “painful decision”. “This situation gives way to great mourning for our congregation and we are very sensitive to the repercussions of this announcement on the students, their parents and all the staff of the school”, indicated Sister Marielle Dion, regional delegate of the Sisters of Sainte-Marcelline.
The school did not directly respond to questions from The Press, instead directing us to a question and answer page that went live on Monday. We can read there that the management “in no way” anticipated the decision of the Congregation, announced Wednesday to the board of directors by its president, Sister Marielle Dion.
In a message sent to parents on Friday, the associations of parents and alumni of the Villa, as well as the Foundation, say they are “in shock”, but add that they are mobilizing in the face of the urgency of the situation.
“We almost all find ourselves consoling our upset daughters, comforting teachers in disarray, but also in crisis management,” they lament. “We are determined to keep the Marcelline spirit and ask you to keep hope. »
With Delphine Belzile and Emilie Bilodeau, The Press