Sderot's parents committee decided in an emergency meeting Thursday evening to open the school year in the western Negev town as scheduled.
The decision came after the High Court of Justice granted the government a 21-day extension to respond to the petition in the matter of fortifying Sderot's schools.
The High Court in May ordered the state to fortify all of Sderot's classrooms by the start of the school year, but a week-and-a-half ago, the court decided to delay its ruling, after being asked by the state to put off fortifying the schools by three years.
At the end of the meeting, the teachers committee issued a statement saying, "Despite the Israeli government and its head's ignoring and foot-dragging in the matter of fortifying schools in Sderot, we – the town's parents committee – honor the High Court of Justice's decision to grant the State of Israel a 21-day extension.
"Out of our desire to give our children a bit of routine life in the delusional reality of daily Qassam attacks on our town, and out of the desire not to hinder the joy of the school year, we will open the school year this Sunday."
Alongside the announcement to open the school year, the parents stressed that their struggle was not over. "We have had enough promises and talk, it's time for action. The government promised it would build schools and we want to see the tractors on the field," they said in a statement.
"If these promises are not carried out in the 21 days given by the High Court (in the matter of construction, permits and budgeting) and the government breaks its promise and commitment, we will put the schools on strike and continue our struggle."
'Olmert cut off from reality'
The parents went on to say that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has done everything in his power to ignore Sderot residents' problems. "His cynical statement, that so far no child has been hurt from a Qassam attack in schools, demonstrates the arrogance and alienation of a prime minister who is cut off from reality.
"First of all, children were injured from Qassam attacks in schools. Second of all, Mr Olmert, no child should have to die in order to have full fortification in Sderot and Gaza vicinity schools. We are lucky that the High Court determined that the state must fortify all the schools."
The members of the parents committee said that they have presented a number of demands to Education Minister Yuli Tamir and Defense Minister Ehud Barak as conditions for opening the school year, and so far some of them have been met, including committing to a date for the completion of the construction of six new schools and doubling the number of school buses.
On Wednesday, Major-General Yitzhak Gershon, head of the Home Front Command, said in a political-security cabinet meeting ,"We have plenty of fortified classrooms so I see no reason not to open the school year on time."
Gershon told the cabinet that Sderot has 164 fortified classrooms, when the need was for a 133; and the Gaza vicinity communities needed 176 such classrooms and got 200, Gershon told the cabinet.
Sderot Municipality's education department told Ynet on Wednesday it was not familiar with the data introduced by Major General Gershon. Miriam Sassi, head of the education department, said that she did not understand how Gershon reached such a number of fortified classrooms.
"If one attaches the bomb shelters in one school and in the one next to it and turn them into classrooms, such a number may be possible. But that means the students will not study in the laboratories, computer rooms, etc," Sassi said.