District school boards have become political hotbeds for book bans and more – here’s what they actually do

District school boards have become political hotbeds for book bans and more

(Stock photo/Getty Images) Election races for local school boards have become hotly contested in many states as they have become forums for debates over gender-identity discussions, immigrant students and even prayer at school events. Liberal candidates largely swept school board elections on April 7, 2026, in politically contentious districts in Wisconsin, Missouri, Alaska and Oklahoma, where book bans, gender identity and prayer during school …

District school boards have become political hotbeds for book bans and more – here’s what they actually do

People hold signs during a Grossmont Union High School District board meeting in El Cajon, Calif., in July 2025. Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty ImagesElection races for local school boards have become hotly contested in many states as they have become forums for debates over gender-identity discussions, immigrant students and even prayer at school events. Liberal candidates largely swept school board elections on April 7, 2…