Queen of Angels Academy to close at end of school year

Queen of Angels Academy to close A 125-year-old West Island girls school is ceasing operations, Aphrodite Salas reports.

A 125-year-old private all-girls school in the West Island is set to close at the end of the current academic year.

Queen of Angels Academy in Dorval sent notices to students this week indicating enrolment was too low for the private school to continue.

The school confirmed that it would be closing its doors on June 30, 2014, putting 43 staffers out of work, a decision taken at a meeting Thursday evening among parents and school administrators

“We know that in the last two years we've seen a lot of anglophone parents enrolling their kids in francophone schools, the laws in Quebec are very restrictive as far as what students we can enroll, the economy obviously hasn't helped so it's a lot of pressure,” said Dominic Varvaro President of the Board of Directors.

Varvaro said the school's population hit its peak in 2006-07 with 515 students but that ever since the number of students enrolled has dwindled and currently sits at 186. The school would like to have 300 students but was projected to only half about half of that next year.

Since 2006-07 the school has also increased its fees substantially and at around $9,000 per year, they are now almost double what they were seven years ago.

The board of directors had considered such possibilities as expanding to allow boys, adding a Grade 12 and CEGEP and even merging with other schools but ultimately opted to fold.

Some former students expressed shock and disappointment when interviewed by CTV Montreal Friday.

"I was devastated because it was like my second home," said alumnus Robyn Perez. "Most of my family went there so for our family it was a hard thing to take in."

Another graduate echoed her sentiments.

"I could never describe what that school brought to my life," said Olivia Crescenzi.

But another said that there were indications of declining enrollment.

"I started off initially in Secondary One with four classes and when i graduated we were three very small classes," said Lauren Belvedere. "Even though you saw it coming it was a big shock and i just can't imagine that other girls aren't going to be able to enjoy the time I had at Queen of Angels."

Queen of Angels Academy was founded in 1888, and moved to its current location in 1959 when the Congregation of the Sisters of Sainte Anne bought the Royal Montreal golf clubhouse.