Overbrook Academy, the private 150-girl boarding school that has been a quiet resident of the former Providence Seminary at the Aldrich Mansion on Warwick Neck for more than a decade, will relocate at the end of the current academic year to Greenville.

The reason for the move makes common sense in the opinion of Jim Fair, spokesman for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Chrisi that operates Overbrook. He said Overbrook is one of seven Oak International Academies in this country, Ireland and Switzerland.

He said Friday there are two primary reasons for the move: that Mater Ecclesiae College in Greenville, which is owned by the Consecrated Women, is as nice if not a better facility, than that on Warwick Neck and “they won’t have to pay rent.”

The former seminary and the Aldrich Mansion are owned by the Diocese of Providence.

“After several successful decades in the Warwick location, The Legion of Christ is moving on and we are grateful for the partnership the diocese has had with the Legionaries throughout the years. Diocesan leadership continues to explore various options as to utilization for the former school,” Diocese of Providence Chief Financial Officer Michael F. Sabatino said in an email yesterday.

Overbrook, founded in this country in 1984, offers an emersion program in English – all classes are taught in English. It caters to young women from well-to-do families largely from Central and South America. It also offers a summer camp, Camp Horizons that provides morning instruction in language arts followed by afternoon activities including sailing, hiking and swimming. The camp will be held in Greenville this summer.

According to a flyer that was prepared for neighbors of the school once it relocates in Greenville, the entire student body lives on campus, where they receive daily mass, meals and classes. Overbrook is accredited by AdvancED and Praesidium, according to the flyer.

Fair said the full staff would be relocating with the school. Mater Ecclesiae College announced last fall it would close at the end of the spring semester.  Its formation program will be continued at San Damaso in Madrid, Spain.

In a release, Overbrook Director Barbara Mariscal says, “We’re grateful for the community’s support and believe this is a wonderful opportunity for our school. The location and facilities at Mater Ecclesiae are ideal for our program and we believe this will be a great benefit to our students and their families.”

During its tenure on Warwick Neck, Overbrook maintained a low profile. On occasion groups of girls accompanied by adults dined in local restaurants and at least one Christmas season girls visited a Warwick nursing home where they brought gifts and sang for the residents.

“We’re moving lock stock and barrel 30 minutes down the road,” said Fair.

Fair said the academy is expected to remain about the same size. The move is not part of a plan to expand the school.

According to information provided to Greenville neighbors of the college, “as a middle school, the proposed use is nearly identical to the current use of the property.” It will have a staff of about 30. Consecrated Women have operated personalized attention to students for more than 30 years.