NEW YORK -- Proponents of an Arabic-themed middle school see it as a reflection of internationalism and a recognition of the city’s growing Arab population.
But school officials were restarting efforts Friday to find a space for the institution after plans to open it in a Brooklyn elementary school building foundered amid parental concerns and contention over its mission.
The Khalil Gibran International Academy was supposed to share space with Public School 282 in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. But parents of PS 282 pupils criticized the option, saying squeezing another school inside the building would hurt resources available to their children.
Some have noted that the school has generated ideological controversy and have questioned whether that could mean a security risk. And some say they don’t want older students sharing a building with their young children.
City Department of Education officials said Friday the school would not be housed at PS 282, but they did not say whether the protests had anything to do with changing the location.
“After further consultation with the principal and school leadership team of PS 282, we determined that siting the Khalil Gibran International Academy at the school would be detrimental to its core academic programs,” spokesman David Cantor said in a statement.
Other locations were being scouted, but Cantor would not say where.
Organizers say they still plan to open this September with a sixth grade and gradually expand into a full middle school and high school. About half the students are expected to be of Arab heritage, although the school will have open admission.
The school is named after the famed Lebanese-American Christian poet who promoted peace. It would be one of a few nationwide that focus on the Arabic language and Arab culture.
Education officials say the curriculum will be in line with basics required from public schools, while integrating elements of its theme. Debbie Almontaser, a longtime New York City educator and a Muslim of Yemeni background, is to lead the academy. She has done extensive interfaith and cultural work to fight stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims in the post-Sept. 11 world.
New York already has schools specializing in Asian culture and Chinese language, and is opening one that centers on Latin-American culture.
But when the education department revealed plans for the Arabic school earlier this year, the reaction from conservative groups was fierce.
Conservative Web sites have seethed against the idea, as have some members of the public. “Jihadi,” “public madrassa,” and “segregationist” are just a few of the labels that have been tossed at the plan.
