It's now a race for the Belmont School Committee.

Pascha Griffiths of Bradford Street, one of four finalist to fill a vacant position on the School Committee in October, has pulled nomination papers to win one of the two seats being contested at Town Election.

The Winn Brook parent hopes to join incumbent Anne Lougee – who was picked in October by a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee to occupy the position – and Board of Library Trustees' Matt Sullivan on the ballot.

The election will be held Monday, April 2.

An applicant to the doctoral program in education at Harvard University, Griffiths said she wants a career in educational leadership and being on the School Committee would allow her a chance to learn more.

“I’m a relative newcomer to Belmont but was drawn here because of its excellent educational reputation,” Griffiths told the joint meeting in October.

She is also well known as founder of Possibilities Factory and Beloved Quilts, which was highlighted in Belmont Patch.

A candidate for town-wide office must be at least 18 years old and a registered voter of Belmont.
 
All candidates for Town-Wide Office must secure the signatures of at least 50 registered voters of the Town of Belmont and return the signed nomination papers by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 13. The town clerk's office recommend that more signatures are collected and submitted in the event that some signatures are invalid.
 
Nomination papers are available  for pick-up at the Town Clerk’s office for the annual April Town election, when town-wide officers are elected. Before collecting signatures, the candidate must sign the nomination papers and fill in the office for which he/she will be a candidate.

While the School Committee race is heating up, the same cannot be said for Town Meeting. According to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, there are several precincts that have seats – a total of 12 seats in the eight precincts without a candidate – with only six days remaining before the nomination period closes on Monday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m.

*Precinct 4 also has a single two-year seat open.

To be considered a new candidate for Town Meeting member, you must be at least 18 years old and a registered voter of the Town of Belmont in the precinct you wish to represent.
 
Candidates for Town Meeting must secure the signatures of at least 25 registered voters from the Belmont precinct and return the signed nomination papers by Feb. 13.

Cushman said if residents who are interested in running for a seat on Town Meeting and wants to learn more about the town's governing group, they can come to tomorrow's Special Town Meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Chenery Middle School.

"They are more than welcome to sit in the non-voting area and see how it works," said Cushman.

(Corrections: Ms. Griffiths was nice enough to call and note that her name ends in an 's' and she is eagerly waiting word on her application to the doctorial program in education leadership at Harvard University.)