Officials at a proposed Hebrew-language charter school in Brooklyn are planning to fund their own space rather than seize classrooms in an existing public-school building.
With the school’s focus on Hebrew language and culture already drawing opposition, the move would help the publicly funded school duck punches that have hit other new schools.
“We’re trying to do our best to learn from everyone’s lessons,” said Sara Berman, the lead applicant on the Hebrew Language Academy’s charter.
Parent opposition to sharing building space with a steady stream of charter schools has intensified in recent years.
Several community education councils have also passed resolutions opposing what they see as Joel Klein’s and the Department of Education’s poorly managed placement of charter schools.
The Khalil Gibran International Academy - an Arab-themed public school that, like the Hebrew Language Academy, raised concerns about the boundary between culture and religion - endured numerous battles for space in its first year.