St. John Neumann Regional Catholic School in Lawrenceville closed last month, but some parents are still hoping to send their children to a faith-based elementary school in the neighborhood this fall.

A group of parents has organized to try to start a new school called the Lawrenceville Academy in the Catalyst Building, about three blocks from the closed school.

While not familiar with the details of the plan, the Rev. Kris Stubna, secretary for Catholic education in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, said he believes this is the first time parents from a closed Catholic school in the diocese have tried to organize their own school.

The parents are calling the school faith-based, but Father Stubna said he did not think it would be a Catholic school because such schools must be in conformity with the diocese.

Parent Brian Narr, of Lawrenceville, said parents of 55 children want to send them to the new school, and four teachers who previously taught at St. John Neumann want to teach there.

St. John Neumann, a K-8 school, was closed in part due to low enrollment, forecast at 92 for this fall.

But there are still many hurdles to clear.

The parents group is seeking a religious organization it could work under. Mr. Narr said there are some possibilities but no commitments.

If the school is under the auspices of a religious group, it would have to file an affidavit and be approved by the state Department of Education, a process that typically takes about two weeks.

It also would need an occupancy permit. In 2006, Career Connections Academy, a charter school, gave up plans to open a middle school in the Catalyst Building after zoning and other issues arose.

The group is in the midst of fundraising and gathering the necessary supplies and equipment to operate a school.

"The whole thing is a leap of faith," Mr. Narr said. "We're still standing. We've been fighting very hard. Every time the road gets rough, something has come up to help us. I feel very strongly at this point we could do this."

St. John Neumann was supported by three parishes: Our Lady of the Angels in Lawrenceville, St. Lawrence O'Toole in Garfield and St. Matthew in Lawrenceville.

Father Stubna said many former St. John Neumann students have registered at other Catholic schools and had their tuition aid grants applied there.

"There are a number of faith-filled, Catholic schools not too far away from Lawrenceville," said Father Stubna, noting schools in Bloomfield and Morningside, among others.

Mr. Narr objected to the diocese's school-closing process and said the diocese failed to consider the development under way in Lawrenceville.

Judy Graf, part of the group trying to start the academy, said, "The vision is a faith-based magnet-style art academy, as the nucleus of a growing, vibrant community that has been transformed into a hub for the arts."

Mr. Narr, who attended school in the St. John Neumann building when it was Lawrenceville Catholic, has three children who have gone to St. John Neumann, the youngest of whom will be in seventh grade this fall.

Mr. Narr said he stood outside St. John Neumann on the final day, watching students and teachers cry as they exited and tearing up himself.

"The children want to be together. It's like keeping a family together," he said.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.