|
California Islamic Group Seeks Quality Education Plan
PALMDALE, California, April 8 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The American Islamic Institute of Antelope Valley at Palmdale, in southern California wants to establish a charter school that provides quality education to children whose families cannot afford private school tuitions.
The charter school would have grades kindergarten through the eighth grade, with class sizes of no more than 20 students.
"Our project is very unique. It will have a very positive reaction to it," said chief financial officer for the Islamic Institute, Kamal al-Khatib.
"We are doing it to help the poor. Anybody can come in. We are not catering to certain group. You don't have to be Muslim to be in the charter school," he added.
Institute officials who met several times with Palmdale School District officials, plan to present their proposal to trustees in several months.
According to superintendent Nancy Smith, the institute's plan, which calls for enrolling between 150 to 180 students, would be a first for the district.
"The only thing we are doing is going through the requirements with them as to what needs to be turned in to the board," said Smith. "They have to have a complete package before we take it to the board. We have no problem as long it meets all state criteria."
Al-Khatib said that the school will teach the Arabic language, but will not provide religious instruction during school hours. The religious instruction will be offered after school in mandatory classes.
"As a chapter school there are some restrictions that adhere regarding teaching religion," said al-Khatib.
Smith said that under state law, it is alright to have religious instruction before or after school, but not during instructional time for which the school is getting pay from the state.
"Depending on the grade level, there are a certain number of minutes. Within that time period submitted to the state as instructional minutes, you can't teach religion," said Smith.
Smith also said that the district would examine the financial aspects of the proposal very carefully.
"We need to protect Palmdale School District. There's a fiscal liability to it. We need to make sure they can stay fiscally viable and not to put the district in any jeopardy," said Smith.
"If a charter school starts a program and bankrupts out, or they don't generate income or somebody isn't planning well and overspends, it leaves the district liable."
Smith also said that once a proposal has been presented to the board, trustees have 60 days to approve it or reject it.
If approved by trustees, the charter school would be the third in the Antelope valley. Last year, the Antelope Valley Union High School District approved Henry Hearns Charter School of Excellence in Littlerock.
Al-Khatib said that the money the school will receive from the state will not be enough to fund all the school's operations, therefore, the school will have fund-raisers to raise the rest.
"We have the ability to do that. We have been successful in past fund-raisers. We have built a mosque that cost $600,000 and we own a cemetery and mortuary," said al-Khatib.
Al-Khatib also said that the school would offer the same kind of education available in other Palmdale public schools.
"We are adopting a similar curriculum to the Palmdale School District, an improved version of the curriculum," he added.
"The people we are dealing with, they can't afford to pay $300 to $400 a month for private school. We always have been poor-sensitive to people in our organization."
According to al-Khatib, a resident of Palmdale and owner of Hollywood Mortgage, there are 250 families in the Palmdale mosque. He also estimates that the number of Muslims in the Antelope Valley is about 5,000.
The institute school, which has so far signed up 85 students, would be located in an empty lot behind the institute's mosque on Palmdale Boulevard. Al-Khatib said that organizers plan to construct nine classrooms totaling 2,000 square feet.
The institute's bylaws call for establishing a mosque, or a school, and a cemetery and mortuary, said al-Khatib.
The institute's mortuary and cemetery were established two years ago.
|
