Cape to update codes for its charter schools
The city of Cape Coral is looking to update and revise the city code that established its municipal charter school system.
Cape Coral City Council directed staff on Wednesday to work with the Charter School Authority Governing Board to look at Chapter 26 in its entirety.
Mayor John Gunter said they need to relook at the entire chapter and make appropriate changes as the code was adopted many years ago and he did not favor a “piece-meal approach” for any changes to the governing document for the Oasis Charter School system.
“We’ve been kicking this can down the road for many years,” Gunter said.
He asked for a second to work on it with the city attorney, city manager, and school superintendent to come up with a revision for the chapter.
City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said he will sit down with Superintendent Jacquelin Collins and his staff that assists in a support role to come up with any changes between the two administrations and bring it back to the council.
“We can work together with her and present a joint list of things that may be tweaked,” he said.
Assistant City Manager and charter school liaison Mark Mason brought forth the few sections that have been discussed. He said about four or five months ago, discussions began about the policy for guaranteed matriculation through the system from elementary to middle to high school.
“What we noticed was that information was not in an ordinance. (There were) some changes and that information went to the charter school board on June 14, as well as a previous meeting in May. They approved a resolution for City Council to enact these changes,” he said.
Those changes include memorializing the guaranteed matriculation — student acceptance — through graduation from Oasis High School. The board also identified some preferences for those who apply to attend the schools. In addition to being guaranteed a seat through the system, preference will be given to children of active military and veterans, children of a member of the board or of an employee of the authority, siblings of students already enrolled, students enrolled in the Cambridge Advance International Certificate of Education Program.
“Identified current students enrolled do not need to reapply to the system. If you do apply and are not selected in a year on the list, then you would need to apply the next year to get back on the list,” Mason said.
Another section of Chapter 26 deals with terms of board members. He said they standardized the terms of all board members for two-year terms, and serving only for two consecutive terms.
The last section deals with the adoption of resolutions. Mason said resolutions will be numbered the same as the city’s resolutions – “consecutive numbered for each calendar year with the last two digits of the calendar appearing first followed by a hyphen with the number of the resolution following.”
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