Michigan 2022 Election: Dearborn book debate, other hot topics highlight importance of school board races

DEARBORN, Mich (FOX 2) - While Michigan's governor race and Proposals 1-3 dominate TV time, school board races nationally are critical elections.

Ballotpedia said the percentage of unopposed seats has dropped since 2018, from 40% in 2018 to 24% last year, meaning more people are running to lead school districts.

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Since 2020, we’ve seen school board meetings become a divisive battleground between parents over several hot-button issues, including children wearing masks in school, the teaching of the United States' racial history, and which books should be available in school libraries.

Last month, emotions reached a fever pitch at a Dearborn Public School meeting over select books, which some parents believed, had sexually explicit material.

MORE: Heated exchanges as hundreds fill Dearborn School Board meeting over LGBTQ+ book debate

Those parents and protestors say they didn’t want children getting access to those books.

On Tuesday, voters in Dearborn voted on two at-large seats for the board of education. We asked people if that race was top of mind. 

One voter said they have paid more attention this year than in the past.

"Yes. I went to the school board meeting that they had," the voter said. 

Another voter, Gwendolyn Williams, said her attention to the board hasn't changed.

"I’m just going to vote," she said.