By STEPHEN BEALE
Union Leader Correspondent
 

GOFFSTOWN - The owners of the Villa Augustina School are ready to sell it to parents.

The move is a remarkable reversal of the situation almost five months ago, when the Religious of Jesus and Mary told parents they could not financially support the school they founded 90 years ago, making its closure almost certain. Since then, determined parents have collected $400,000 for repairs and have another $120,000 for its purchase.

Sister Janet Stolba, the U.S. provincial superior for the order, and her governing council approved the sale after parents submitted a five-year plan for the future of the school in mid-March. The general government for the order affirmed that decision Monday. Its consent was a requirement of Roman Catholic canon law.

In an interview yesterday, Stolba praised parents for their commitment to Catholic education, describing them as an inspiration to members of the order.

"They have been extraordinary with what they have accomplished in such a short period of time," Stolba said. "It gives such great joy to all of the sisters."

The next step for both parties is the drafting of a formal purchase-and-sale agreement. Stolba said she expects that to happen in May and hopes to close as soon as possible on the agreement.

The deal will allow the Villa Augustina to reopen next year as an independent Catholic school for students in the pre-kindergarten program through the eighth grade, according to Carol Barrett, the chair of a leadership transition team comprised of parents.

She said members of the transition team had been anxious since they hadn't heard of the decision by the start of last weekend. But she said she was encouraged after a conversation at a funeral Sunday for a father at the Villa school.

His wife urged her to press on.

"She said, 'We really don't want another loss in the family. Keep the Villa open,'" Barrett recalled. "It was really heartwarming." 

Barrett learned of the approval from Rome the next day. Now, she said the leadership transition team is focused on hiring a new principal to replace Jack Daniels and electing boards of directors for the two corporations parents established to handle the transition. The school will be officially sold to the St. Claudine Villa Academy, but parents want to keep the Villa Augustina name.

Barrett said she was confident parents would have the $400,000 they need to buy the school. Two months ago, the Benedictine monks at St. Anselm College gave $100,000 for that purpose and the college president, the Rev. Jonathan DeFelice, is helping parents raise the remaining amount, according to Barrett.

Stolba said she is confident parents will be able to buy the school and run it themselves next year and well into the future.

"Barring unforeseen circumstances, it appears that everything is a go," she said. "We can't think of any reason at all why it wouldn't."

Reproduced by the Goffstown Residents Association.