Historic tract sells to Acton school

Developers of a memory-care facility and an office complex were interested in the property but would have removed most if not all of the structures, Keffales said. However, Acton intends to use the buildings for its school, he said.

Holtz said he plans to remodel the interior of the buildings to suit the functionality of his school, which uses a one-room schoolhouse approach. He said Acton serves as a Montessori-style school, yet it incorporates technology and collaboration in its learning environment.

The larger stone house—with about 4,000 square feet—will serve as the classroom, Holtz said. An 800-square-foot building will be used as an art studio, and a smaller structure will make up a “hacker space” where students will use coding and technology, or computer-aided design, to construct new things, he said.

The school currently includes first- through seventh-grade students but will add an eighth-grade class for the fall semester at the new site, Holtz said. Acton may eventually grow to 12 grades and add a building depending on future demand, he said.

“The [school] will be a combination of the old West Lake Hills area and what we believe modern education looks like going forward,” Holtz said.