Those fighting to keep the doors open at St. Vincent de Paul School are hoping an unnamed person or business will make a substantial donation to support the effort.

On Jan. 26, Archdiocese of Hartford officials said that decreasing enrollment led to the decision to shut the school down, a decision that also affects the Saint Gabriel School in Milford. The East Haven school currently serves 88 students.

Since the announcement, a group of St. Vincent supporters, mostly parents and graduates, have started a fundraising page, www.gofundme.com/djjkevys, in an effort to raise funds to save the school.

The stated goal is to raise $100,000 by mid-March to be used in an effort to convert the school into an independent operation.

To date more than $13,000 has been raised. The more than 50 donations have ranged from $25 to $1,500.

Two people involved in the fundraising effort, who did not want to be identified, said it is possible that a single, big contribution will soon be made. Both declined to say who that contribution would be coming from.

The archdiocese has said St. Vincent de Paul’s deficit is more than $71,000, despite infusions of money from the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, the Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Support Program, and local donors.

On the gofundme page, there is a group statement from parents, which reads:

“We are some parents of students at St. Vincent de Paul School [SVDP] in East Haven. Our school is in jeopardy of closing, due to lack of money and I fear the archdiocese is not going to help us, as they have in the past.

“The school is the only Catholic school in East Haven. Our children love their school and their teachers, and are saddened to think they may not be able to attend next year. SVDP has had managing issues in the past, but with a new principal, a fantastic staff of teachers, and many committed parents, we know SVDP can be successful.

“We have a great technology program, award winning athletic programs, significant family involvement, and an outstanding curriculum. However, our enrollment is not what we had hoped. Unfortunately, we will need to raise these funds asap,” the statement concludes.