WHEELING, WV -- The owners and administrators of Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy have declined offers and options from a parents association to continue operating the school beyond May 31.

In a letter to parents, faculty and others, the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary requested that "no further efforts be made to continue the academy in its present structure" at the existing site, because of the hard financial realities involved.

The nuns said they want to focus on the welfare of students during a transition that relies on the core values of education and self-worth on which the academy was founded "in faith, with hope, and love."

"The lives and future of each of these children are precious to the nuns and the administration. We don't want to tax them with worries and challenges that are not of their making nor under their control. We want all the well-intentioned persons with a love for Mount de Chantal in their hearts to help make the students' final year here their best," Sharon Campbell, interim head of school, said.

The academy's closing was announced Jan. 18. The letter also requests that the names "Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy" and "Mount de Chantal Academy" only be used in reference to the historic Washington Avenue complex.

For those who might choose to restart an all girls school, the nuns recommended they do so under a new name and at a new location.

At the crux of the academy's problems are a severely declining student base. There are 134 enrolled but more than 200 are needed at a minimum.

Operating overhead and capital structural maintenance needs are also a concern, and officials estimate that the academy would need "tens of millions" to create an endowment for operating funds in addition to a 50 to 60 percent increase in tuition and the end of unfunded financial aid.

There also is a need for a separate, multimillion-dollar fund to undertake an overall upgrade of the facility's utility, HVAC system and code structure.

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