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Commission signals enforcement path as Renaissance Charter School falls short on conditional‑use terms
Summary
After staff reported Renaissance Charter School exceeded an enrollment cap and has a low local resident share, the Cooper City Commission directed staff to pursue enforcement options (code fines and possible revocation hearing) to secure school resource officer coverage and compliance with the conditional use.
The commission spent substantial time on Dec. 9 discussing alleged violations by Renaissance Charter School of its conditional use agreement. Staff reported the school has 1,213 enrolled students, exceeding the site’s conditional‑use enrollment limit of 1,200, and that only 76 of those students (about 6%) are Cooper City residents. Commissioners highlighted public-safety concerns and that the conditional use explicitly required the charter to provide and fund a school resource officer (SRO).
Staff explained two enforcement pathways: (1) code enforcement under the city code (chapter 162) with special magistrate hearings and potential fines up to $250 per day for violations, or (2) a quasi‑judicial proceeding before the commission to revoke the conditional use after an evidentiary hearing. The city attorney said staff will prepare recommendations and evidence if enforcement is pursued; the school would receive notice and have the right to respond and present evidence at a hearing.
Several commissioners urged firm action if the school does not meet its conditions; some emphasized that while only a small share of enrolled students live in Cooper City, every child on campus is the city’s responsibility for safety during school hours. Commissioners asked staff to compile the compliance record, document the enrollment counts, and bring a recommended enforcement path to a public hearing if violations remain.
No final revocation vote was taken at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to proceed with investigation and prepare enforcement options for a formal hearing.
