Islamic Society applies to Sarasota County for private school

The Islamic Society of Sarasota and Bradenton has applied for a special exception with Sarasota County in hopes of opening a private school.

The society applied to the county in December to allow a kindergarten through 12th grade private school to open in the existing facility. Currently there are no plans to expand the mosque or its facilities to accommodate the school; the campus's current rooms provide sufficient space.

Hytham Bakr, with Bakr Group LCC, is the society’s applicant. He said the society’s facility is mostly used on Fridays, so the association wanted to establish a school to use the campus the rest of the week.

The school would be a private Islamic school with the target of attracting Muslim students throughout the region and students within the current mosque. Bakr said about 90 children grades K-12 attend the mosque’s Sunday school, and parents were interested in a full-time program. 

“They’ll start with K-4th (grade) and then grow into the higher grades,” he said. 

The nearest Islamic school is Universal Academy of Florida located in Tampa.