Charter school will emphasize universal values

MONTClAIR - The founder of a private Islamic school is opening a charter school in this city, he said.

Misbah Eldereiny, an Upland resident, purchased a day care center this summer and is transforming the back of the property into a charter school for kinder garten through ninth grade on Sept. 3.

The school, to be named West wood Olarter School and Straightway Learning Center, will teach a standard California public school curriculum along with Arabic but will have class sizes more closely associated with private schools.

SCHOOL Continued from Al

'Td like everv student to be an A student," Eldereinv said. Eleven years ago, Eldereiny left the world of international business and management to start The Straight Way School in West Covina. The private school teaches a standard California curriculum along with Islamic principles. He started the school in part for parents coming for professional or educational opportunities from the Middle East who would want their children to keep learning Arabic before returning home. Its students and teachers are Muslim, though the school is open to anyone regardless of religion, Eldereiny said.

But families can't always afford the tuition of 5375 a month, especially if more than one child is enrolled. So the 62-year-old Eldereiny set out to serve a broader population. He wanted to open a school that would teach the values of kindness, honesty and integrity in a private-school setting but be free of charge. The· values he plans to foster are universal, regardless of religion, he said. Students "need a basic ·education, and Islamic education can be given in any mosque," Eldereiny said. "You don't have to have·a school for that." A charter school, which gets its funding from the state, gives more flexibility to its directors in choosing teachers and designing curriculum. And unlike. public schools,. which typically take students in a certain geographical area, there are no boundaries at a charter school.

Eldereiny said he already has 120 students enrolled. He hopes to open with 200 students by September. So far, about eight teachers have been hired. He plans on extending enrollment through 12th grade and hopes to buy part, if not all, of the prop erty next to him to create grassy fields and exrra parking. Eldereiny contacted Westwood Olarter School in Northern Cali fornia, which has eight schools around the state. He will be the Montclair school's director. It will operate under Westwood's char ter in the Westwood Unified School District in Lassen County. If any of the standards, from teaching to fiscal management were violated, "We would sever our relationship with him," said Ron Flenner, program director for Westwood Olarter School. He oversees all eight charter schools. Eldereiny bought the Forrest Day School on 2!~ acres in the 5500 block of West Arrow High way a month ago with $850,000 of his own money, he said. He purchased the school with an agreement to keep .the day care center and its before- and after school programs. He has com mitted to· renovating the build ings and installing new play ground equipment. Already he has invested $150,000 for renova tions and school construction, he said. .

Shaelynn Parker's family sold the center to Eldereiny on condi tion that he keep the day care center and its programs running as is. Her parents built the school in 1953 but it fell into disrepair in the last few years of her father's life, Parker said. The family re ceived several offers to purchase the land but after meeting Elde reiny and visiting his school in West Covina, decided he was the right person.

"He's a servant to the children," Parker said. "It really is his intention to better these children's lives."

Eldereiny said he plans to open another school.

"I will make several schools because there are needs," he said.