After 137 years, military academy in Missouri to close

Wentworth Military Academy and College, an institution in Lexington, Mo., for 137 years, will close its doors for good when the current semester ends May 31.

Letters dated April 7 went out to cadets, students, parents and alumni of Wentworth telling them that declining revenues and increased expenses made it “impossible for Wentworth to continue providing the level of education and services expected, while remaining financially viable.”

Allan Hallquist, a lawyer with Kansas City law firm Husch Blackwell who represents Wentworth, confirmed the upcoming closure.

“The academy has had declining revenue, declining enrollment and increased expenses for a period of time,” Hallquist told The Star in an interview on Saturday. “They have had for a number of years a generous, loyal alumnus who funded the deficit while they have considered different strategies for increasing revenue. But they have not been able to operate in the black.”

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article143518244.html