For the first time in over a decade, the Holy Family School building in Fairfield is once again filled with students.

The Covenant School of Bridgeport opened this year and is a tuition-free private middle school for low-income Bridgeport families.

"We really like the word covenant because it's making that promise to the students. To try to take students who are many times behind academically, get them caught up and prepared as much as possible for a private high school education," says head of school Matthew Fitzsimons.

For now, the school has students in fifth and sixth grades - with plans to add new classes of fifth graders as the current students move up to seventh and eighth grades.

The school day begins with prayer and ends with a study period for students to start their homework. After school, there are mandatory clubs and sports.

Several Saturdays a month will be dedicated to field trips and community service.

Students say the school has already provided them with a fresh start to find new friends and a chance to focus on academics.

Covenant School is part of the Nativity Miguel Coalition, which runs more than 50 schools across the country,

The schools are funded through donations.

Fitzsimons and his wife also founded an all-girls school in Hartford.

Holy Family closed back in 2010. Since then, the Diocese of Bridgeport, which owns the building, had rented out the building to small businesses that have been using the classrooms as office space.