It’s the end of a long saga at the Villa Sainte-Marcelline: an eight million dollar transaction was finalized last Friday with the Congregation of the Sisters of Sainte-Marcelline for the purchase of the school’s land and buildings. .
“It’s the end of the uncertainty,” says Michel April, the new acting director general, who has been working since January with the group of parents who were trying to find solutions. “The Villa is there for the future, we are masters at home. We now have everything we need to face the years to come and ensure the sustainability of the institution”.
The religious congregation announced last October that it did not want to renew the lease of the private French-language school in Montreal, which welcomes hundreds of young girls from kindergarten to secondary 5, because of the high costs related to the aging condition of the building. The news sparked a mobilization movement among parents and students and an agreement was finally reached on May 31.
Parents, in uncertainty for months, had decided to enroll their daughter in another establishment. Teachers had also announced their departure. “Many teachers have changed their decision and will stay, and it’s the same for several parents, underlines Michel April. As we speak, we are at least 80% of our level for this year, and it continues.
The buildings will belong to the Corporation de la Villa Sainte-Marcelline, a non-profit organization that has had a facelift with new governance following the transaction. Funding to buy came primarily from a six million dollar bank loan, as well as from donors. An amount will also be invested to renovate and bring the buildings up to Régie du bâtiment standards.
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