History
In 1998 Joe Roach, an at-large member of the Houston City Council, promoted a request from AOS to buy one block of Marshall Street from the city so that AOS could acquire the lot to develop a parking lot and a walkway. At the time Roach had a son who was a student at AOS. Area residents argued that the buyout would increase traffic issues and divide their neighborhood. The city committee that approved AOS's request used a study of the area commissioned by AOS as the basis of the approval.

Prior to the release of the film The Golden Compass the school had the book The Golden Compass, originally titled Northern Lights in its native United Kingdom, on its recommended reading list for ten years. After the release of the film, the school removed copies of the book from its library.