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Council delays charter‑school ordinance, asks staff for full Chapter 26 review
Summary
Council members asked staff to consolidate and rewrite all of Chapter 26 governing the Cape Coral Charter School after the governing board recommended limited changes covering matriculation and board terms. The council requested a comprehensive review with administration and the charter’s superintendent before drafting a final ordinance.
The Cape Coral City Council committee on Wednesday asked staff to postpone an ordinance that would amend parts of Chapter 26 of the city code governing the charter school system and to return with a consolidated rewrite covering the entire chapter.
Mark Mason, assistant city manager and the city’s charter‑school liaison, described proposed changes the charter school governing board approved in recent meetings. The board recommended an explicit guaranteed matriculation policy — so students admitted into elementary or middle grades may matriculate through the charter system — and clarified preference tiers for admission (for example, children of active military members, board members’ children, students in Cambridge programs and veterans). The board also recommended standardized two‑year terms for governing‑board members and rules about how the board adopts regulations.
Mason said the board adopted the recommendation as Resolution 8‑25 and that staff planned to introduce an ordinance Aug. 20 with final reading Sept. 3. Several council members said the specific amendments raised a broader question about Chapter 26’s overall structure and recommended a single, comprehensive update rather than incremental changes.
Council members asked staff and the city attorney to work with the charter‑school superintendent and return with a consolidated draft that addresses governance, appointment and term language, matriculation guarantees, preference policies and other administrative matters. Council members said a single consolidated ordinance would reduce repeated amendments and avoid piecemeal fixes.
No formal vote was taken Wednesday; council members who spoke supported delaying introduction so administration, the city attorney and the charter‑school governing board could prepare a joint set of proposed revisions. Mason said staff will coordinate with the superintendent, the city attorney and other departments (finance, HR, facilities and IT) and return with a comprehensive draft for council review.
