LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — In 2022, there were concerns that conservative candidates might get elected to school boards and change the focus from budgets to banning books.
Take GOP candidate for governor Tudor Dixon, for example.
During Dixon’s campaign, she said she would laser in on keeping pornography out of school libraries and banning transgender students from sports in Fall 2022.
In fact, a number of conservative candidates did run for local school board seats in Michigan last year, and there was fear among non-partisan school board members that a conservative takeover might be underway.
That apprehension was not unique to Michigan, it was nationwide.
Don Wotruba, Executive Director of the Michigan School Board Association, doesn’t have a head count but he did not see the movement gain major traction in the state.
He said the movement seemed to occur in isolated instances.
“I’ve heard antidotal stories from a few districts where they are spending more time then they would prefer on things that are more narrowly focused than broad education, but its not in many places,” said Wotruba.
Because voter turnout on board of education races is often small, the vocal minority are motivated to vote for their candidates, while the other voters just stay home.
