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City budget official presents proposed roughly $42 million FY2027 budget for OASIS Charter Schools
Summary
City budget administrator Nicole Reitler presented the OASIS Charter School Authority’s proposed FY2027 budget — including enrollment projections, an 11.75% increase in total spending, 11 new staff positions and targeted capital purchases — and recommended budgeting revenues at 99%.
Nicole Reitler, the City of Cape Coral’s budget administrator, presented the OASIS Charter School Authority Governing Board with the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget on May 12, outlining enrollment forecasts, revenue assumptions, staffing additions and planned capital purchases.
Reitler said the authority is proposing enrollment of 3,453 students for FY2027, down slightly from 3,466 in the current year, and described the proposal as “rooted in the belief that every student can succeed” while remaining fiscally balanced. "We budget our revenues at 99%," she told the board, saying that assumption reflects differences in FEFP per‑student averages across schools.
The presentation described a proposed operating and capital plan of roughly $42 million, which Reitler said represents an 11.75% increase over the adopted 2026 budget. She attributed much of the year‑over‑year change to increased LCI (local capital improvement) funding — which Reitler said will be at 80% in 2027 and is expected to reach 100% in 2028 — and to recognition of the half‑cent capital outlay surtax receipts in a restricted special revenue fund.
On staffing, Reitler outlined 11 proposed new positions across the system, including a bus driver in administration, a guidance/tech counselor and clinic assistant shared across campuses, a food service worker funded by the food service fund, a speech pathologist at the South campus, three teachers and a paraprofessional at the middle school, and an athletic trainer plus an additional teacher at the high school. She said those additions bring total staffing to about 383 full‑time equivalents and that personnel costs account for roughly 62% of the proposed budget.
Reitler also described planned capital purchases: total capital items for FY2027 cited in the presentation included about $293,400 in purchases, highlighted by a bus replacement estimated at $156,000, software and copier purchases and IT hardware. On vehicle replacement timing, Miss Collins said the typical bus life cycle is about 10 years and described a fleet point system used to prioritize replacements.
Board members pressed staff on several assumptions. Chair Jackson asked whether budgeting at 99% remained prudent rather than returning to a 95% revenue assumption; Reitler recommended staying at 99% to reflect FEFP recognition and school‑level student mix. Members also asked about Title 402 and TAPS grant dollars; Reitler said final amounts were not yet available and recommended recognizing those grants through budget amendments once awarded rather than estimating now.
The presentation closed with calendar and next steps: Reitler said a final tentative budget will be presented to the Charter School Authority Governing Board in June and incorporated into City of Cape Coral public hearings for approval in September 2026. No formal vote on the budget occurred at the workshop. Member Santos moved to adjourn, Jackson seconded, and the board adjourned; the next meeting was announced for 5 p.m. at City Council Chambers.
What’s next: the board will receive the tentative budget in June and may schedule additional workshops only if significant changes arise; grant awards and any required budget amendments will be addressed as money is recognized.
