To the dismay of students and alums, St. Basil Academy in Jenkintown will close at the end of the academic year after nearly nine decades in operation, writes Kristen A. Graham for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The private all-girls Catholic high school is run by the Ukrainian Catholic Sisters of St. Basil the Great. The school has been facing declining enrolment and as such it is not able to make end meets, according to Sister Dorothy Ann Busowski, the provincial superior of the order.

The closure represents a “painful, but necessary decision,” she said.

School officials launched a financial campaign last year to shore up the institutions finances after it became clear that tuitions could no longer sustain St. Basil. Unfortunately, they were not able to secure the targeted $3-$5 million endowment or generate $300,000 in annual giving. The school was also not able to retain at least 60 students in its freshman class.

“While it pains us deeply to make this decision, we wanted to be sure we had exhausted every possible option and solution before officially making this announcement,” said Sister Dorothy Ann.

Read more about St. Basil Academy at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

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