Alma del Mar Will Expand, Like It or Not [OPINION]

The New Bedford School Committee is simply delaying the inevitable. By tabling a vote on the transfer of the former Kempton School to the Alma del Mar charter school, the panel is slowing a process that should be expedited.

Those who do not support charter school expansion must come to grips with the fact that state education officials have told us, in no uncertain terms, that Alma del Mar will expand. It will expand with the agreed upon scaled-back proposal that is currently advancing, or it will go forward with the full-blown model that was originally submitted to the state for consideration.

But it will go forward.

There is a lot of work to do to assure that the school expansion can happen in a timely fashion. There needs to be City Council action and then approval from the state before all of this can move forward.

It will move forward. If it has to be done, let's be sure we do the best that we can to make it successful.

If anyone is upset with the way this is all playing out, take it up with your legislative delegation. Your state representatives and senators voted unanimously in 2010 for legislation that directly facilitates this expansion. You may want to ask them why they did that.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.