The confident and the scared marched into the Manara Academy on Monday, just like most schoolchildren in Texas.
The public charter school, one of the few in the state offering Arabic and French classes, burst on the scene in Coppell with controversy: Residents pushed for zoning permits, 10-foot “no-play buffers,” and complaints that traffic would increase.
The previous tensions between adults over the opening of the elementary school on the grounds of Christ our Savior Lutheran Church didn’t rematerialize Monday.
Traffic appeared to glide smoothly along Heartz Road and the school grounds, where Manara is renting the space for a year.
“Manara” means “lighthouse” in Arabic. The academy bills itself as a nonsectarian, nonreligious school.
The Texas State Board of Education approves charter schools, which are public and taxpayer-funded.
