Democratic school fights to survive

The South Sharon Regional Council recently ordered the school to vacate the premises by March.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Parents and supporters of the Democratic school in Givat Hen, adjoining Ra'anana, have begun a campaign to try to force the city of Ra'anana to find a suitable building to rehouse the school, which has been ordered to vacate its current premises by March, reports www.local.co.il. The school, which began operating almost five years ago with 27 pupils, has grown to contain 134 students in the current school year, but has operated under constant threat of closure by the authorities. According to the report, the South Sharon Regional Council, which has jurisdiction over Givat Hen, recently ordered the school to vacate the premises by March. Ra'anana reportedly feels under no obligation to take in the school as a separate entity, and a municipal spokesman said Democratic school students who live in Ra'anana - about half the student body - are welcome to enroll at existing schools in the city. But the city is coming under pressure from parents who say that both Kfar Saba and Hod Hasharon have their own Democratic schools, and that Ra'anana should too. The parents have been told that they cannot transfer their children to Kfar Saba or Hod Hasharon, as both schools are full. They reportedly plan to pressure Mayor Nahum Hofree directly into finding a suitable building in Ra'anana for their school.