A Lawrence private school has made an offer to buy a vacant nursing home property in southwest Lawrence that once was proposed as a site for a homeless shelter.

Jeff Barclay, administrator of Veritas Christian School, confirmed that the school wants to buy the former Lake View Manor nursing home, 3015 W. 31st St., to expand the number of students it can educate.

“We’re close to being out of room now at our current site,” Barclay said of the school’s building at 256 N. Mich. “We’re not saying no to enrollments, but some of our elementary classrooms are filling up.”

The private Christian-focused school is expected to have about 150 students in kindergarten through 12th grade when it starts its seventh school year on Sept. 5. Barclay said the Lake View Manor site – which includes 7 acres and a 22,000-square-foot building – would allow the school to more than double its enrollment and perhaps add a preschool, if demand dictated it.

Barclay didn’t disclose how much the school offered for the property but said the offer was made about two weeks ago. Veritas leaders are waiting to receive an answer from the owner. The asking price on the property is $2 million.

Attempts to reach Charles K. Pomeroy, a Topeka resident who is part of the property’s ownership group, were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Leaders of the Lawrence Community Shelter previously have expressed interest in relocating their downtown homeless shelter to the site. But city commissioners balked at providing funding for a possible purchase after residents in the area expressed concern.

Shelter director Loring Henderson has said he’s still interested in the site but is waiting to see if the asking price for the property comes down.

Barclay said Veritas leaders were enthusiastic about the possibilities for the site. In addition to providing more classroom space, the property would allow the school to build its own gymnasium for its basketball and volleyball teams, he said. Currently, the teams compete in a Eudora gym.

The site, however, would not be expected to accommodate a new athletic complex that would house a competition-level football/soccer field and track. Instead, Barclay said the school was pursuing a deal with First Church of the Nazarene, which is south of Lawrence near county roads 1055 and 458.

The Rev. Don Dunn said his church has 91 acres and wants to accommodate the school. The athletic complex would include a lighted football/soccer field, locker rooms, spectator seating, a track and possibly a practice field. The complex would need to receive planning approval from the Douglas County Commission.

Barclay said he hopes to have the complex operational by the 2007 football season.

Veritas has been operating for seven years and has offered high school classes for the past three years. But it is an outgrowth of the Douglas County Christian School, which had operated for 24 years.

Barclay said school leaders were planning for robust growth. He said school enrollment increases about 5 percent to 7 percent per year. Demographic studies have shown it is realistic to expect the school’s enrollment to grow to about 350 students in the coming years, Barclay said.

Dunn said several members of his church send their children to the school, and he expected Veritas’ enrollment to grow.

“It seems like they really have their act together,” Dunn said. “I think some people in the community are looking for different education options. We sent our kids to public schools, and we love our public school system, but I think there is a growing need in the Christian community for a Christian-based education.”