After the City Council formally voiced opposition last week to closing Burbank, Foster, Longfellow and Toler Heights elementary schools, along with John Swett, a K-8 school, activists are looking to tweak legislation that prompted a state takeover last summer.

School board President Dan Siegel said the Coalition Against School Closures plans to work with state representatives to return power to the local school board, which was transformed into an advisory body after the takeover.

At a protest before the City Council meeting Tuesday, Siegel rallied a crowd of roughly 300 people, saying state school administrator Randolph Ward has not listened to the local community about closing schools. The next move should be to hold protests in Sacramento to target Ward's boss, state superintendent of schools Jack O'Connell, Siegel said.

"The only person he's going to listen to is his boss in Sacramento," he said.

O'Connell has been consistent in his support of Ward, saying he would not "second guess" Ward's decisions.

The City Council jumped into the battle Tuesday, unanimously passing a resolution against the school closures. The council has no authority over the schools, but the resolution adds the council's political muscle to a closure opposition movement that includes Oakland Democrats state Sen. Don Perata and state Assemblywoman Wilma Chan.

City Councilwoman Jane Brunner said the school district needs to show better plans before closing campuses.

"I'm not saying you never have to close schools, but you have to have a plan," said Brunner, co-author of the resolution. "You have to ask what happens to the children, how do they get to new schools and what happens to the building."

Councilwoman Jean Quan, another author of the resolution, said the district can save money in other areas rather than closing schools. The district should also work harder to pay down a $100 million loan that came with the state takeover, she said.

For instance, a recent budget report showed the district had not spent millions of dollars that have been earmarked for specific programs. The district should spend that money, which could free up nonrestricted funds for other uses -- such as paying down the debt or keeping schools open, Quan said.

"They can pay down the debt quickly and return local control back to the school board," she said.

Ward said he would not comment on the council's actions, but said he started the closure process in December to allow parents and school communities enough time to plan for the next school year.

"Parents can plan for open enrollment, and we can plan the utilization of those sites," Ward said.

Ward said community meetings have begun, and will continue, at individual schools targeted for closure. He said the closures will help the district save money.

The district plans to save $1.5 million to $2 million with the closures of the schools, he said.

"Not only this year, but the next year and the year after that," Ward said.