Town Election, 2012

To Belmont Voters: 'We Need to Keep Our 'Eyes on The Prize''

A final election statement to voters from School Committee candidate Anne Lougee.

As a candidate for school committee, I would like to thank the Belmont Patch for its “Question of the Week” column. Having the opportunity to communicate thoughts and ideas about and for the Belmont Public Schools was very valuable. I would like to use this final opportunity to address a few of the issues that are before us.   The Search for a Permanent Superintendent: Belmont benefited greatly under the 20 years of Dr. Peter Holland’s leadership, and is fortunate to have Dr. Thomas Kingston at the helm as interim-superintendent. Kingston has agreed to extend his term for a second year, allowing the School Committee additional time to conduct a search. The average tenure of a superintendent is four years, making it all the more important …

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Town Election, 2012

Rojas Doubles Up Scharfman in Campaign Money

First-time candidate dominates large donations, out-of-town contributions.

In his first run for public office, Selectmen's candidate Andy Rojas used his business connections and fund-raising skills to bring in more than double the amount of campaign funds of his rival, Dan Scharfman. According to campaign finance documents filed with Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman yesterday, March 26, Rojas has raised $22,935 from Jan. 1 until the middle of March from a mix of residents and out-of-town contributions. Scharfman reported just under $11,000 from fund raising and funds carried over from the previous year. Along with out raising the current School Committee member, the vice-chairman of the Planning Board has spent more than twice what Scharfman has; $15,376 to $6,843. Just how great the disparity is between the two…

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Franklin Tucker

2:39 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012

OK, I think everyone has had their say on contributions as an incentive to or not to run for an elected position. Let's move on to other issues related to contributions.   more ›

The Candidate's Question of the Week

Question of the Week: School Committee Candidates on Teaching Levels

Pascha Griffith, Anne Lougee and Matt Sullivan answer questions related to Schools.

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? 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 elementary years, even if students are no longer in small class sizes. The U.S. Department of Education website archives these studies, including the Tennessee STAR and Long-…

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Griffiths Pulls Papers for School Committee Race

Seats remain in a number of precincts. "You have until Monday," says Town Clerk Cushman.

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. “…

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Franklin Tucker

2:35 pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Dear Ms. Oates: Thanks so much for the explanation on 'open' seats. The best solution is not using the term in this articles and the future. Thanks   more ›

Lougee Named to Fill Vacant School Committee Seat

Selected from four candidates at joint meeting of School Committee and Selectmen.

The Belmont School Committee and Board of Selectmen had a tough choice during a joint meeting on Monday, Oct. 3 in Town Hall to select the person who will fill the empty seat on the School Committee after interviewing four candidates the officials said were all excellent. Ultimately – after approximately an hour for the interview process that included statements as well as questions and answers – Anne Lougee, an active member in PTOs at all school levels in the district with a financial background, was selected to serve on the Committee until her term expires in April. Lougee received all four of the votes cast by the school committee members who voted. The Warwick Road resident has indicated that she will run for a full three-year term on…

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