A group made up of educators and community members want to make sure its opposition to a plan to create more Charter School seats in New Bedford is heard loud and clear.

The Coalition to Save Our Public Schools rallied Thursday night outside New Bedford City Hall against a new agreement between the City of New Bedford and the Alma Del Mar Charter School.

Spokesman Ricardo Rosa says the Coalition is opposed to the "Memorandum of Understanding" announced this week, which would create 450 new charter seats at the vacant Kempton School on Shawmut Avenue.

Rosa says the Coalition is opposed to any more charter schools eats in New Bedford.

"What we've seen across the country when these deals are crafted, very often it ends up costing taxpayers a lot more than what was originally proposed," said Rosa. "When our city officials sign off on it, we have no recourse."

The New Bedford School Committee and Mass. Department of Secondary and Elementary Education still must approve the agreement, and the City Council must vote on whether to transfer control of the Kempton School to Alma Del Mar.

Rosa says Thursday night's demonstration was directed toward the City Council.

"We know they will take up the issue eventually, so its good to get our voices heard now," he said.

Rosa says the Coalition will continue to demonstrate against the charter school agreement and lobby elected officials. He says the agreement, as it stands now, was crafted with very little input from taxpayers and the general public.

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420