A Dallas City Plan Commission hearing on a zoning change request that, if approved, would allow Northway Christian Church to host the Compass School of Texas has been postponed.
The hearing was originally scheduled for Oct. 8, but District 13 Dallas City Plan Commission member Larry Hall said a request was made by a neighbor to postpone the date. The case is now set for a hearing on Nov. 5.
Currently, city code allows one postponement request for City Plan Commission hearings and one for Dallas City Council meetings, so while the City Plan Commission hearing can’t be postponed again, a subsequent Dallas City Council hearing could be.
The case has been a hot-button issue in the community since Northway Christian board chair Paul Schmidt announced earlier this year that the church at 7202 W. Northwest Highway, next to Boone Elementary, is planning to shutter its Day School, which serves children from 6 months to 5 years old, in May of 2027 and host The Compass School of Texas.
Schmidt wrote in a letter that hosting The Compass School of Texas “will expand mission reach and provide sustainable revenue” for Northway, while supporting Compass’ “growth as a Pre-K-through 8th-grade school that preserves the community’s warmth and connection to nature.”
The Compass School, which serves students in Pre-K to fourth grade, opened in 2023 and is slated to expand to serve students through eighth grade.
Nearby residents and Highland Park ISD leadership have raised concerns about the about the potential traffic impact of Compass’ close proximity to Boone and future uses of the church space. Neighbors and the district had called for further staggered arrival and dismissal times for Boone Elementary and Compass, among other changes to the proposal.
“The neighborhood is not asking the City of Dallas to deny education to children. We are asking that any permit approved include binding conditions calibrated to the unique configuration of two independently administered schools sharing the same residentially zoned city block,” Meagan Ranallo, a Boone Elementary parent, wrote in a June 5 communication to community members.
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