Of the other candidates, only Charles Yancey, David Scondras and Terry McDermott have even outside chances. However, if the neighborhood bused candidates--Yancey, a Black running for the second time, Scondras, an antiarson expert, and political unknown Craig Lankhorst, a West Indian--run strongly, it will encourage a grass-roots, city-wide progressive political movement. That political movement, begun behind State Rep. Mel King's mayoral candidacy two years ago, could become the deciding constituency in the next mayor's race.

School Committee

While the white middle class has nearly abandoned the city's public schools, it has not abandoned the school committee. For years, the committee was either a stepping stone for higher office or a place to collect the benefits of an extensive patronage system. Often it was both. With the conviction of one member in an extortion scheme and the implication of two others--and the financial and morale crises brought about by mismanagement, courtordered busing and Proposition 2 1/2--this committee has not focused its attention on educating children.

Despite a new superintendent and several attractive new candidates, the next committee may not be able to change the school situation rapidly. The preliminary did show however, that parents of children still in school, mostly Black and Hispanic, were becoming more active electorally. With the school system at the point of near death, this change is required, but may be too late.

Incumbents John D. O'Bryant, Jean Sullivan-McKeigue and Kevin McCluskey, despite wide-spread disappointment in the committee as a whole, should win three of the five seats. Committee president O'Bryant, the first Black elected to the school committee in 100 years, should top the ticket as he tries for his third term.

Rita Walsh-Tomasini and Jean McGuire, both second-time candidates, finished in the top five, and should do well in the final. Both have been active in public school affairs as parents for many years; McGuire would be a second Black member of the committee.

Incumbents Elvira "Pixie" Palladino and John McDonough were implicated in fellow committeman Gerald O'Leary's extortion scheme, but cleared in a subsequent trial. McDonough barely made the final election, though, and has been a weak candidate in the past; he may have been hurt too much by the bad publicity. Palladino, who lost her seat in the last off-year election, has lost much of her virulent anti-busing support, and would have been in trouble even without her connection to the scandal.

Former committeeman John Tierney and Felix Arroyo have only outside chances. Tierney, who served in the 1960s, has a good political name (his brother was also on the school committee and is now Registrar of Deeds in Suffolk County) but has not distinguished himself in this campaign. Arroyo, a highly respected advocate for Hispanic and minority educational opportunities, will benefit from the increased turnout in minority communities, but simply isn't known well enough. A strong showing by Arroyo, though, especially in the Irish wards, would signify an important change in how Boston voters view their school system.