By N. Bradford
A large, Houston-based public charter school system has plans to build a K-12 campus in Pearland.
“The intent is to get permitting for the project as soon as possible,” said Jack Duran of Blueline and representing Harmony Public Schools. “We spent a lot of time getting documents and meeting with city staff.”
The campus would be developed in two phases beginning with an elementary campus, Duran said.
Pearland City Council on Monday approved the first reading of a zone change from single family residential to general business for 20 acres at 210 Roy Road. A second and final reading will be held at a future meeting.
On the first reading, council members Layni Cade and Jeffrey Barry voted against rezoning from residential to commercial.
Mayor Kevin Cole expressed concerns about traffic access in and out of the site.
“I want to see choice in schools, but we’ve got to make sure the circulation of traffic is keeping up with that area,” he said.
Duran said a plan for access is under development.
“The intent is to find a way to access Reed Road,” he said.
The site was annexed into the city in 1997 and zoned in 2018 for a subdivision that never came to fruition.
Founded in 2000, Harmony Public Schools is a tuition-free school system has 60 campuses across the state, serving more than 34,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Another public charter school, International Leadership of Texas, is building a campus in Pearland at 2468 Broadway at Liberty Drive.
