SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (AP) A private Jewish school in suburban Atlanta is halting a controversial proposal to expand its campus because of the lagging economy.

Officials with the Epstein School in Sandy Springs wanted to grow from 650 students to 850. It would have added between 4 and 15 acres with a theater and preschool building.

The growth upset residents in the neighborhood because several homes would have to be demolished for the expansion. Residents crowded public meetings to protest the project.

The school also was targeted by vandals who twice painted swastikas near the campus at the peak of public outcry over the expansion.

Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com

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