About 450 elementary students have applied to attend Cape Coral’s first municipal charter school. Called Elementary South, it will admit 600 students in all. It will open this fall.
City of Cape Coral Charter Schools Administrator – Dr. Patrick Mark – says if there are less than 600 qualified applicants, every student will be accepted. If there are more, students will be chosen at random.

“Under the charter we have until the 31st…March 1st to March 31st mark the period where if we went over 600 we’d have to have a lottery. If we don’t have 600 by March 31st, all those students are in – along with their siblings in terms of sibling preference.”

Dr. Mark says he’s already hired about a dozen teachers. The school is part of an effort by the City of Cape Coral to provide an alternative to the Lee County School District. Cape Coral Charter Schools plan to open a middle school, and another elementary school in 2006 - and then a high school in 2007. Charter schools receive state funding, but are privately operated.