SWAMPSCOTT — The two seats on the School Committee to be filled at the upcoming town election will be contested.
While potential candidates have until the end of the day Thursday to take out nomination papers, and until March 10 to return those papers, as of Wednesday afternoon, there are three people running for the two open offices.
They are incumbent Suzanne Wright, of 111 Hardy Road, and newcomers Greg D’Antona, of 9 Belleair Drive, and Keiko Zoll, of 69 Nason Road. The two candidates with the most votes will take their seats on the five-person School Committee.
Incumbent Gargi B. Cooper has not taken out nomination papers and does not intend to run for reelection. Cooper, the most recent chairwoman of the School Committee, would not comment on why she is not running for reelection.
Of the two newcomers running for School Committee spots, Zoll had run for election to the School Committee last year. She narrowly lost that election with 1,076 votes, to Carin Marshall, who had 1,198 votes, and incumbent Amy O’Connor, with 1,350 votes.
At a candidates’ forum hosted by the Item during the last election cycle, Zoll said she has a background in communications and digital media, as well as nonprofits and grassroots advocacy. She has also worked in children’s advocacy, and won awards, including a 2013 fellowship from New Leaders Council, a nonprofit that promotes and provides training to progressive local government officials and active citizens.
Zoll said then she had a platform of “transparency, service, and growth,” and wants Swampscott’s school system to remain strong as a way to “attract and retain” young families and expand the town’s tax base. She herself moved to Swampscott in 2018 because of the school system, in which she has a young child.
Meanwhile, the five-seat Selectboard will have two seats to be filled at the town election. Running for those seats are incumbents Laura Spathanas and Vice Chair Naomi Dreeben, residents David Grishman, Stephen Williams, and Neal Duffy.
Other offices that will appear on the town election ballot are moderator (one-year term), and incumbent Michael McClung has taken out nomination papers; Board of Assessors (three-year term), and incumbent Tasia Vasillou has taken out nomination papers; library trustee (three-year term), and incumbent Ellen Winkler has taken out nomination papers; Board of Health (three-year term), and incumbent Emily Cilley has taken out nomination papers; Planning Board (five-year term), and incumbent William Quinn has taken out nomination papers; and Housing Authority (five-year term), and William DiMento, Alan G. Ledbury, and Dreeben have taken out nomination papers.
In addition to the elected offices, Swampscott residents will also vote for Town Meeting members. There 18 seats in each of the town’s six precincts to be filled. All are three-year terms. To be listed as a Town Meeting member candidate, residents must get 10 signatures on their nomination papers. The signatures must be from within a resident’s precinct. It is suggested 16 signatures be obtained in case some cannot be certified.
The election will be Tuesday, April 28. Wednesday, April 8 is the last day to register to vote.
