While the council election is already heating up, the race for the school committee may be less lively this year than in year's past with the smallest pool of contenders in six years.

Koocher said his decision not to run for a seventh term stems partly from his dissatisfaction with the attitudes of some members of the committee. "Liberals and conservatives alike have made very political issues out of educational ones," he said.

Koocher headed-up the postponement of school committee meetings this summer, claiming that Duehay, then acting mayor, did not have the authority to chair the meetings.

"I've never had the slightest reservation to vote, speak or do what I think," said.

Leib, a first-term committee member, said that the committee has been too "involved in petty details that should be dealt with by administrators."

In addition, Leib said the $10,000 a year salary is insufficient for the amount of time members put into the committee. "It's a very tough job, I'd like to see the salary increased."

Independent incumbents Alfred Fantini, Joseph Maynard, and Jane Sullivan have announced their candidacies for the committee, as has CCA incumbent Frances Cooper.

Agassiz School parents Larry Weinstein and Richard Griffin are the other two CCA-endorsed contenders, and the crop is rounded out by two veteran candidates, Timothy Tooney and David Kennedy, and Sara Garcia, who is running for the first time.

Other contenders for the council race are CCA-endorsed Renae Scott and rent control advocate Michael Turk. Also taking out papers were Lewis Armistead, Manuel Bonitatibus, Ronald Campbell, Elio Centrella, Vincent Dixon, Winston Forde, Kenneth Reeves, and George Spartichino, William Walsh.