Mandarin Immersion Parents Council

The Verona Press

By Seth Jovaag

A new charter school that will teach half its classes in Chinese will open in the Verona Area School District in September.

On a split vote Monday, the Verona Area school board approved a controversial proposal to launch the state’s first Chinese-language charter school.

The Verona Area International School will be located within Stoner Prairie Elementary School in Fitchburg for at least two years. It will open with one mixed-age class of 22 kids in kindergarten and first grade, with organizers hoping to add 22 more kids in 2011.

“We’re very thrilled,” said Teresa Mueller, a leader of a group of parents that advocated for the school for months. “We think it will be an asset to the district.”

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