Each week for the remainder of the campaign, Belmont Patch will be providing a "Question of the Week" to the candidates for the House of Representative's 24th Middlesex District – Jim Gammill, Tomi Olson and Dave Rogers – that will run on Tuesday mornings. Below is the question and the candidates' answers. Question The MBTA's Interim General Manager Jonathan Davis said while the authority will attempt to keep the level of service at current levels, he made it clear that revenue from all sources – riders and the legislature – must be increased for this this to happen. As the state …

During your campaign for school committee, you have talked with many people about their hopes and concerns for Belmont's schools. What one question or comment stood out and how did you answer that question or comment? Anne Lougee The most common themes expressed this campaign season was the hope that the Belmont Public Schools not lose more ground, that there will be a way to stem the tide of rising class sizes (at all grade levels), of increased fees for services within the buildings and on the playing fields, and that many of the course offerings eliminated in recent years be restored. …

While regionalization has been a topic in the campaign, there are also calls for consolidation of town services. Recently, there has been talk of the Council on Aging, Recreation and Building and Grounds (which itself is undergoing a consolidation) to be joined with savings coming from cost reductions and salaries. What town departments could you see consolidated or joined? Dan Scharfman Consolidation of departments helps Belmont only when money is saved or service quality improves. It is not clear how consolidation of the Council on Aging with the Recreation Department would do either. In …

What do you think of the Warrant Committee insisting on a "level service" budget from the school department each year? Since needs and requirements change from year-to-year, is a "level service" budget meaningful in providing the best education to Belmont students? Is there a better approach to funding Belmont schools or do you believe the current system does the job? Pascha Griffiths What do you think of the Warrant Committee insisting on a "level service" budget from the school department each year? Since needs and requirements change from year-to-year, is a "level service" budget …

Regionalization – merging town services of one or more municipalities – was one area that former Town Administrator Thomas Younger recently said he was unable to move forward during his tenure. The promise of combining services – including small functions such as sharing a town nurse to major areas including public safety – with a nearby town or towns is that Belmont will see savings and greater efficiencies. Do you support regionalization and what top three areas would you strongly push to see combined with other towns? Andy Rojas The discussion of regionalization of services has been …

Only six years old and currently used by a handful of elementary schools in California, Khan Academy, a free online tutoring site, is being called a model for the future of U.S. education. As seen on "60 Minutes" this month, utilizing 3,000 free videos and software that provides digital lessons and simple exercises, Khan Academy "flips the classroom"  where students watch Khan videos at home to understand a concept then at school do problem sets called modules to make sure they understand. Teachers are more mentors rather than lecturers, with software keeping track of each student's progress…

How would you approach the $183 million debt obligation the town currently faces in other post-employment benefits? Dan Scharfman Benefits for retired employees present staggering financial challenges for cities and towns across Massachusetts. The largest is the anticipated cost of “OPEB”, or “other post-employment benefits.” The current estimate of $183 million in anticipated liabilities grows more urgent every year. This is overwhelming for Belmont.It’s also overwhelming for retirees, most of whom cannot afford the radical cuts in benefits suggested in some approaches to the problem. Any …

This week's question: The establishment of the district's Professional Learning Team program has been viewed as a success by the school committee, educators and the administration as teachers work collaboratively to change the way they teach in order to address students learning needs while providing onsite professionaldevelopment that builds collegiality, improves teaching quality and job satisfaction. Yet some national observers have been critical of PLTs for their cost, reduction in classroom time and often vaguely determined goals.If you are elected to the school committee, how would you …

The Question of the Week is a weekly round of questions related to issues and concerns in races for town-wide office. How would you determine if the Belmont School District has an adequate number of teachers and how would you fill any gaps in need? Pascha Griffiths An adequate number of teachers at the elementary level is different than high school; therefore I’ll explore the question as it applies to our three school levels.  For elementary grades, research has shown that small class sizes improve student achievement, and may even have lasting achievement affects that last beyond the …

The Board of Selectmen is beginning a major shift in its role, proposing to cede power to a strong town administrator in areas such as the budget and day-to-day operations. After the transfer of responsibilities, what will be the most important function of the board and how will you, as a new member, put your own imprint on that role? Andy Rojas The impact of the new strong Town Administrator will likely bring an important and welcome shift in the Board of Selectmen. The Selectmen should address the policy development and the strategic issues facing the town. The Town Administrator should …