Bernie Sanders

FILE - In this June 24, 2016, file photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks in Albany, N.Y. Sanders plans to meet with 1,900 of his delegates right before the start of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, part of a series of meetings aimed at providing direction to his undecided supporters after he endorsed Hillary Clinton.

(AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)

Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a former Democratic presidential candidate, came out on Tuesday against a Massachusetts ballot question that would expand the number of charter schools in the state.

"Wall Street must not be allowed to hijack public education in Massachusetts," Sanders said in a statement. "This is Wall Street's attempt to line their own pockets while draining resources away from public education at the expense of low-income, special education students and English language learners."

Question 2 would let the state approve up to 12 charter schools a year outside of an existing cap. Polling shows voters are evenly split on the question heading into Election Day.

People in the financial industry have emerged as some of the major financial backers of the pro-charter school side of the ballot question. An investigation by the International Business Times reported that several of those financial firms also manage state pension assets.

Sanders, as a presidential candidate, ran a populist campaign that was critical of the financial industry.

Opponents of charter school expansion say allowing more charter schools would drain taxpayer money from the public schools. Supporters of expansion say charter schools will give parents in failing school districts more choices.

The No on 2 campaign responded to Sanders' endorsement in a statement, "Question 2 is an unprecedented campaign by the charter school industry and their billionaire backers to buy our election with record amounts of untraceable money. If it passes, Question 2 would devastate our local public schools and hurt our most vulnerable students. We're thrilled to have the support of Senator Sanders in this Main Street vs. Wall Street fight."

Eileen O'Connor, a spokeswoman for the pro-charter school expansion Great Schools Massachusetts, responded, "We are happy to have a broad and bipartisan coalition of support that includes Governor (Charlie) Baker, Speaker (Robert) DeLeo, Congressman (Stephen) Lynch, former U.S. Senator Mo Cowan, the editorial board support of almost every major daily newspaper in the state, and tens of thousands of families who are fighting to make sure they get a fair shot at providing their kids with a quality education."