Manara Academy gets council approval to open in Coppell

01:46 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 17, 2009
By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
kunmuth@dallasnews.com

The Manara Academy charter school will be able to open in Coppell in August after a rezoning request was unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday.

School officials plan to open the academy, which leaders of the Islamic Center of Irving have supported, at the former Christ Our Savior Lutheran church school along Heartz Road.

Met with heavy neighborhood opposition, charter school organizers had faced a lengthy and tense rezoning process that included having their previous request denied by the city’s planning and zoning commission.

After the decision was announced, charter school board vice president Sadak Shaik and other officials cheered and high-fived each other and shook hands with council members.

“We’re really excited about this,â€