On the first day they could, Jessie Steigerwald and Mary Ann Stewart headed down to the Town Office Building and pulled papers to seek re-election to the School Committee.

Weeks later, a third candidate has emerged to challenge for the seats Steigerwald and Stewart currently claim. Earlier this week, Cedar Street resident Andrei Radulescu-Banu told Patch this week that he is entering the race. 

Radulescu-Banu may be a familiar face to those who attend School Committee meetings or watch them on LexMedia with any regularity. He's the man who speaks for foreign languages, often advocating for elementary foreign language courses to be squeezed into the budget or educational programs.

Shortly after the start of the current school year, Radulescu-Banu penned an Op/Ed for Patch in which he encourages the Lexington Public Schools to "Give Foreign Languages Another Chance."

"Language learning is such a joyous exercise for young minds and, in fact, the earlier children will start learning a second language, the easier they get it," he wrote. "[But] Massachusetts schools, in general, have through the past decade seen a steady erosion in the amount of foreign language instruction, and the decline is especially harsh in elementary school programs."

Radulescu-Banu is the principal behind Lexington for Elementary School Foreign Languages. And, outside the School Committee meeting this past Tuesday, he told Patch he's working on a campaign website, as well.

The Incumbents

Stewart sent an official announcement to Patch the morning of Dec. 15, just before heading out to the Town Clerk's Office. She has an active website and twitter account (@mascipioni). 

“As we prepare to enter 2012, state and federal fiscal austerity measures have resulted in budget uncertainty," Stewart said in her announcement. "If re-elected, I will continue to engage a broad constituency, advocating for what our schools and students need.”

Steigerwald also has an active campaign website, lexvoteforjessie.com, on which she says a vote for her is a vote for accountability, building community and creative problem solving.

“In Lexington, we are fortunate to have teachers, parents and residents who dedicate time, energy and funding to support education," Steigerwald says on her site. "I am grateful to live in such an engaged community and I am eager to do my part.”