ParentSquare at Life School

In 2007, the property was purchased by A.W. Brown Leadership Academy for school development. Life School later purchased the property, continuing its intended purpose for a new school.

It is common for schools to pursue a Planned Development (PD). Planned Developments can include a variety of amenities, such as schools, parks, recreational facilities, and utilities.

In such circumstances, Texas courts have ruled that a municipality's zoning authority is secondary to the authority of a public school district, unless the municipality can show that the school district is acting in an unreasonable or arbitrary manner.

After purchasing the property, Life School met with neighborhood leaders; listened to community feedback; and made adjustments to the plan where feasible, including relocating the athletic fields; investing an additional $3 million in road improvements; establishing plans for stone fencing and a tree buffer along the read of the property; and investing in light and sound upgrades for the athletic fields.

Life School is investing more than $3 million in road improvements to mitigate impact on Cockrell Hill and Danieldale. Plans include two new turning lanes on each roadway to minimize impact to day-to-day traffic.

The school’s distance from the road enables the school to queue up to 260 cars on private, campus roads; preventing the need to queue cars on Cockrell Hill and Danieldale.

Additionally, the school is investing in new traffic lights and expanding the current turning lane at Cockrell Hill and Danieldale to benefit the local community. While these improvements benefit the school during drop-off and pick-up times; the improvements benefit the community all hours of the day; including most Fridays when Life School is closed because of its 4-day school week.

It is customary for city leadership—not the buyer—to initiate communication with residents. Once residents were informed of the project, Life School held public town halls and met with community residents to review plans and make adjustments where feasible.

Prior to the purchase of the property by Life School, it was owned by A.W. Brown Leadership Academy who purchased it in 2007 with an intent to construct a new school.

A new school can positively affect property values because of 1) reputation and 2) stability.

Families often consider schools when choosing a residential community. A new public charter school with a positive reputation can cause property values to increase as families move to the area.

Quality schools also tend to remain stable, even during economic challenges. This can create a "halo effect" on nearby neighborhoods, which can be perceived as more stable, with higher incomes, and lower crime rates. Homes in desirable school zones can be a solid long-term investment and can be more attractive to potential buyers, which can make selling your home easier and potentially more profitable.

It is not uncommon for realtors to include area schools and their distances from seller listings.