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Arcadia proposes donated, rent‑free facility and outlines initial transportation plan
Summary
Applicants told TEA the startup campus will occupy a donated, rent‑free building they described as roughly 90,000 square feet with spaces that match the school's cohort model; they budgeted about $1.8 million for renovations (described as largely cosmetic), a purchase/lease agreement after 20 years, and a modest year‑one transportation budget that
Arcadia Schools told TEA it plans to occupy a donated, rent‑free facility that applicants said matches the school’s cohort‑based footprint, and described a transportation budget designed to serve students with the greatest needs while relying on the campus’s neighborhood location for much of daily access.
When asked by TEA member Bridget about the facility arrangement, Arcadia applicants said the donor (described in the interview as the local entity transferring two buildings) made the buildings available after relocating its operations. Applicants said the campus buildings total about 90,000 square feet (approximately 20,000 square feet per floor) and include roughly 14 large spaces with adjacent smaller rooms that applicants said are well suited to the school’s plan for central instruction plus breakout rooms for cohorts of roughly 60 students. Applicants described the arrangement as rent‑free for an initial long‑term agreement and said they plan a written agreement that includes a purchase option after a 20‑year period.
Applicants budgeted approximately $1.8 million for renovations and said most work is cosmetic; they told TEA they intend to structure any renovation spending so it can be capitalized and depreciated where appropriate. TEA finance staff asked how the school would treat renovations if the donor‑occupancy arrangement changed; applicants said they would structure the agreement to make the school’s investment and depreciation clear and noted that some of the donations include private funds that could cover early cosmetic work.
Transportation planning was addressed in detail. Applicants said a majority of anticipated students live within walking distance of the proposed site in a dense Southwest Houston neighborhood, and that outreach has prioritized apartment complexes and community hubs near the campus. For students with IEP‑mandated transportation needs, Arcadia plans to provide transportation and budgeted approximately $12,000 in the planning year for a van (applicants said the line could support roughly 600 rides at a $20 per ride assumption) and a scaled annual transportation budget of about $48,000 at full enrollment. Applicants said they would seek supplementary options such as donor support, leasing arrangements to stretch the transportation dollar, and, when appropriate, public transit partnerships to expand access. TEA questioners flagged equal access concerns if students must rely on public transit and asked applicants to further document transportation arrangements as part of follow up.
