BELLAIRE — The new St. John Central Academy started off its first school year with 92 students enrolled.

Principal Selina Brooks said they were a little nervous about their enrollment numbers at first, but then business started picking up.

“During the last week or two, all of a sudden, we had all these grade school enrollment packets come in,” she said. “We’re in the process of hiring another teacher.”

Brooks, who also teaches three classes at the school, said the academy has a mix of both former St. John Central students and new students.

“We have a good mix of new freshmen. The freshman class doubled from the eighth grade last year. We have a lot of new faces and we’ve kept a good bit of (existing) students,” she said.

The academy was formed after the Steubenville Catholic Diocese announced it was to close St. John Central High School at the end of the last school year due to declining enrollment and financial issues. The diocese also announced the grade school may stay open if a plan created by parents and educators was approved by Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton.

In the end, however, the schools’ pastoral administrator, the Rev. Daniel Heusel, recommended the grade school be closed.

Heusel said in a letter to the bishop, “We cannot keep up the level of financial support that is required to maintain St. John Central Grade School without jeopardizing the financial condition of the parishes.”

Since the academy is not affiliated with the diocese, much money had to be raised to re-open the school’s doors for this school year. Much money was donated and fundraisers were held, too. The diocese gave the high school building to the academy, along with some memorabilia and religious artifacts.

Brooks said despite the school not being affiliated with the diocese, it still has the element of religion there. It is considered non-denominational Christian, but the students are taught about various kinds of religions, she said.

“They all take a religion class every day. In the high school there are elective options such as Old and New Testament, (and) history of world religion,” she said. “They all learn about religion and there is prayer in the morning and prayer in class.”

Brooks said later in the school year the students may start attending a Friday mass at the nearby St. John Catholic Church once a month. She noted one of the school’s teachers is a minister and teaches the students religious songs and how to worship, too.

“We’re open and accepting enrollment. We’re excited to see what happens next,” she said.

Brooks taught at the former St. John Central middle school and later moved into an administrative role when the closing announcement was made. She then teamed up with the school’s new board of directors to help get the academy opened.

In addition to being the principal, Brooks also teaches middle school history, U.S. history and government for high school.