Aqsa School (Arabic: مدرسة الأقصی) is an Islamic day school in Bridgeview, Illinois, in the Chicago metropolitan area. the principal is Tammie Ismail.[1]
The school has elementary, junior high, and high school levels.[2] The elementary is coeducational while the later stages are all-girls'.[3]
Aqsa School is not affiliated with the nearby Universal School.[4]
The middle and high school opened in 1986 and the elementary division opened after its standalone school building opened in 1996.[3]
In 2016 Sudanese American teacher Laila El-Amin, who headed the Arabic and religion departments of Aqsa School, received the Golden Apple award.[5]
Most students are of Arab heritage, and those of Palestinian heritage are the largest Arab subgroup.[3]
Other Arab-American groups include Egyptian, Jordanian, Lebanese, Libyan, and Syrian backgrounds. There are also students of European origin, including those of Albanian, Italian, and Turkish backgrounds. The school has South Asian-origin students; including those of Bangladeshi, Indian, Kashmiri, and Pakistani origins; and Southeast Asian-origin students, including those from the Philippines. In addition there are African-American and Hispanic and Latino students.[3]
In terms of race most students are designated as White American,[3] as Arab Americans are racially classified as "White".[6]
The 6th and 9th grades see influxes of students who transfer from other schools.