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A year ago, the idea of opening a small, Downtown, tuition-free school for low-income families seemed possible.

Imago Dei Middle School would have an intensive curriculum taught 12 hours a day, six days a week, 11 months a year for students in grades five through eight. The private school would also provide the students' families medical and social services, if needed.

The holistic approach would ensure a student's success.

But the dream tore apart.

A foundation and two donors withdrew their support for reasons not associated with the school's program. A site for the school Downtown or on the South Side could not be found.

The prospect of opening for the 2006-2007 school year looked bleak.

"There was a dark day last fall," said Juan R. Garcia, chairman of the Imago Dei board of directors and vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Arizona.

That dark day he chaired a soul-searching meeting with the school's board of directors. Some lamented the task was too big and the town too small to support it. Others remained optimistic but weary.

At the end of the meeting nearly all said they would find the money to open Imago Dei. The idea of a school where children could receive a life-changing education was too important to let go.

"A day of reckoning came and the board recommitted itself. We were determined to move forward," Garcia said.

Within a matter of weeks, what seemed impossible became possible.

Three donors stepped up with additional funds. And a dying woman, who believed in the school's dreams, bequeathed a contribution.

"It was the collective spirit and faith in the school that kept the idea going," said the Rev. Anne Sawyer, co-founder of Imago Dei Middle School and assistant rector at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Armory Park.

While the school is still $100,000 short of its $300,000 first-year goal, Sawyer said it will open in the fall. The board will continue to ask Tucsonans for financial help.

Classes will be held at St. Andrew's Church, 545 S. Fifth Ave., where the small congregation agreed to house the one-room school for at least a year. The school will not be affiliated with the Episcopal Church but has its support.

One hundred and fifty donors have given $200,000.

That's enough to admit at least 15 students, Sawyer said. If the school reaches its fund-raising goal, 20 students will be accepted, she said.

The eventual goal is to enroll 80 students, which will require an annual budget of more than $1 million to pay tuition and school operating expenses.

The school will be modeled after a national network of schools targeting low-income families. The philosophy is straightforward: a strong liberal-arts education will give the students the knowledge and opportunities to succeed.

"It's one student at a time," Garcia said.

Applications are being accepted from families who qualify for free or reduced meals under federal guidelines.

Students will be selected by lottery. Interested families can contact Imago Dei at 882-4008.