Schools as infrastructure

I am studying a project for an international school in a growing area of northern Italy. The site is in need of regeneration. The education partner is an accredited organisation with international experience. The project includes scholarships for local students.

I describe it because it reflects a way of looking at investment that I consider increasingly important. In many areas businesses struggle to attract professionals. Often the reason is not salary. It is their children’s school.

Why a school is infrastructure

When we talk about infrastructure we think of roads, networks, railways. But a family relocating for work weighs three things above all: housing, healthcare, schooling. Without a high-quality, international and continuous education pathway, the family does not come. And without the family, the skills do not come either.

A well-designed international school attracts families, supports the businesses that hire, and strengthens the area over time. For an institutional investor it is an asset with stable demand and a long horizon. For an area it is a lever for development. There is also a less visible effect: the school brings teachers, families and connections from other countries, creates exchanges with state schools, and generates demand for services. The surrounding neighbourhood changes over time, and usually for the better.

The regenerated site and the accredited partner

The project starts on a site in need of regeneration. This requires technical, environmental and planning due diligence, confirmation that the site is compatible with school use, and dialogue with the local authorities on timescales and works. The buildings must meet high standards of safety and energy efficiency. The outdoor spaces are part of the educational project. An unused area returns to serving a public function, with green and sports spaces that can open to the community outside school hours.

The education partner is the heart of the transaction. An international school is worth as much as its accreditation, the quality of its teachers and the continuity of its curriculum. That is why I draw a clear line between the roles: ownership of the property, management of the school, investors. Each with a contract, defined responsibilities and governance that protects the students first and foremost.

A school is not measured in square metres. It is measured in the families who decide to stay.

Scholarships as a design choice

An international school risks becoming a place apart from its surroundings. The project avoids this with a scholarship programme for local students, awarded on merit and need. It is not a philanthropic add-on. It is a choice that makes the school part of the community.

It is a theme close to my commitment to education and young people. Children from different families learn together. Teachers build links with local schools. Businesses find a partner for training. It is an impact measured in the course of people’s lives.

Structure and capital

The structure I am working on provides for the property to be held by a regulated vehicle, for example a fund managed by an authorised Italian asset manager (SGR), and leased to the school operator under a long-term lease. The capital comes from authorised partners, with a horizon consistent with the life of a school. Sustainable finance can support the regeneration and energy efficiency works. A long-term lease with an accredited operator gives the transaction a stability that few properties have. In return it demands rigour in the choice of partner and in governance.

My role is one of strategic advice: connecting the local area, the education partner and capital, and building a project that each can support under its own rules.

If you represent an institution, a business or an investor that sees education as a lever for an area, we can discuss it in a confidential conversation.

Views expressed are personal. This article does not constitute an offer, a solicitation to invest or investment advice.