Governor Charlie Baker stopped in New Bedford Thursday as he continues to advocate for lifting the cap on charter schools across the Commonwealth with less than a week until Election Day. 

Baker was joined by Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, Alma Del Mar Charter School founder and executive director Will Gardener and students from the school while speaking at the Presidential Heights housing development.

Baker said the outcome of Question 2 will really only effect nine Massachusetts communities that have reached their cap on charter school seats.

"The reason they're at the cap is because these schools are popular," Baker said. "They're popular with families who can't afford to move, who can't send their kids to private school and who simply want another option for their children other than the ones they have."

Fall River is one of those communities while New Bedford has not yet reached its limit.

Hodgson added that allowing families more options to choose a school that fits their child's needs is important for the community as a whole.

"Those are the kinds of things, at least from my perspective as a sheriff, that I know we need to do to be able to start to build our future in a healthy way," said Hodgson.

The governor also spoke to a common point made my opposition of lifting the cap: taking resources away from local school districts.

Baker said most educational funding is supported by the state budget and that a choice in getting the best education available is the ultimate goal of his administration.

"The vast majority of the funding for education in New Bedford is being paid for by the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth, frankly, doesn't have a view about which school a kid ends up in," Baker said. "What we care about is that they get a great education."

Prior to the speaking event, Baker took a tour of Alma Del Mar's new location in the north end and according to Gardener, many of its students come from Presidential Heights.

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