Potential closure of Westmount private school leaves parents scrambling for alternatives

A private all-girls school in Westmount may have to relocate or even close after the building's owners announced the lease wouldn't be renewed, leaving parents scrambling to enroll their daughters elsewhere.

Last Thursday, a letter was sent to Villa Sainte-Marcelline parents informing them that the building requires structural repairs with a price tag of $12 to 16 million -- more than the congregation of nuns that owns the building can afford.

"The structural and financial situation of the school is such that the congregation is faced with the moral obligation to make a painful, but necessary decision," the letter reads. "The school's Board of Directors has been informed that its lease will not be renewed at the end of this school year."

The school has been operating for over 60 years.

News of its uncertain future comes as a major blow to parents like Elliott Soifer.

"It just came out of left field. We're obviously very upset, to begin with," Soifer told CTV News. "Then we started to panic about what we're gonna do with our children because a lot of the deadlines to apply for school next year have already passed."

Parents and alums have since rallied to try and save the school home to 600 girls from kindergarten to grade 11.

They will present alternative solutions to the congregation later this week.

Isabelle Roy, who sits on the school's board of directors, said she learned about the congregation's decision the day before it was made public.

"We were not consulted at all," she said, adding that there are alternatives that should be considered.

"Yes there are issues, yes congregations around the planet are faced with some issues of money, we understand that. But there are options, [the] options are not exhausted."

Parents who spoke to CTV News said their top priority is to be back in the same building next year, but are open to moving to a new location.