Three Harvard Students Enter Race For Seats on Cambridge School Board

Three Harvard undergraduates are running for Cambridge School Committee positions on campaign platforms tailored to the needs of City residents, and not students in the area.

Robert A. Romagna '74, Roberto Garcia '75 and W. Keith McCoy '76 yesterday predicted that the issues as defined by the taxpayers and not by the transient student body, will determine their showing at the polls on November 6.

The candidates agree on one strategy: to minimize their status as students. On all other issues they court different Cambridge interest groups to achieve the quota needed to win in the City's proportional representation system of voting.

Romagna, who tried and failed to win a seat on the Cambridge City Council in 1971, is counting on the Italian and Catholic voters of East Cambridge for the core of his support. He does not expect much support from students--both because of their numerical insignificance in the election and their ideology which Romagna said is somewhat different from his own.

"I don't think I could tell them what they want to hear," he said. "Students want innovations in government but when they leave the Cambridge area, the residents are stuck with the consequences."

The 21-year-old Government major is opposed to a quota system of hiring in the school system and considers himself a strong supporter of giving priority to Cambridge residents for City jobs.

On both these issues he is opposed by the Cambridge Civic Association(CCA), a liberal, "good government" organization which Romagna considers a "well-intentioned group of hypocrites."

"They clamor for integration and school reforms--but you won't find a low income housing project where they live," he said.

Romagna, running on an Independent slate, said the CCA typifies on an attitude of wealthy reformers who feel they are "above the people and know what is best for the community."

Rather than the experimental projects espoused by the CCA, Romagna said he would prefer to see more funds devoted to physical education in the schools.

Also running on the Independent's slate is Roberto Garcia, a 20-year-old Sociology major.

Garcia stresses the need for educational opportunities for Spanish-speaking people of Cambridge in his campaign. He said yesterday he expects to receive the majority of his votes from the Puerto Rican and Spanish-American community in Central Square on the basis of this issue.

Garcia said he supports the quota system of hiring in Cambridge schools but only if the system is supplemented with on-the-job training programs. He agrees with Romagna that Cambridge residents should have priority for Cambridge jobs, but not at the complete exclusion of other applicants.

The most urgent need of the Cambridge school system is a more rigorous emphasis on basic skills in the lower grades, Garcia said.

Garcia, who came to Harvard on full scholarship from the South Bronx, is currently on the board of three social service organizations for Spanish speaking people in Cambridge.

W. Keith McCoy is the only one of the three candidates who sought the support of the CCA. He said his opposition of tenure for the Superintendent of Schools is one reason why he was not endorsed by them.

McCoy said he agrees with Romagna on the issue of quotas. Although there is a need for more women and blacks in the school system, quotas are not the best means for achieving a racial and sexual balance, McCoy said.

The 19-year-old History major, who described himself as a liberal Republican, said the reform he would most like to see instituted in the schools is a greater student role in decisions concerning curricula and discipline