Voters in Southlake are electing a school board trustee Tuesday. They are choosing a trustee to replace David Almand, who is moving out of the district.
The race has drawn national attention. Southlake Carroll ISD has drawn controversy over the formation of a "diversity council" formed after videos of students chanting racial slurs were posted in 2018 and 2019.
Last month, the school board voted to reprimand a teacher after parents say their child brought a book home called, This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work.
Also in October, an administrator is heard on a tape during a workshop on how to respond to the Texas law banning the teaching of "critical race theory" saying teachers with books about the Holocaust in their room should also have materials from the "opposing perspective."
Andrew Yeager, one of the candidates, is a sales director at NBCUniversal and an adjunct professor. He says many voters he's talked with are "fed up" with the negative attention Southlake has been drawing.
"When it comes to books, just about every parent I've met on every side of the political divide believes in age-appropriateness," he says. "That's something the head of curriculum could work with the school board and parents to make sure they monitor."
Yeager says the school board could work more closely with school administrators to monitor the curriculum and keep current political issues out of the classroom.
Opponent Stephanie Williams says Yeager should not have taken donations from a political action committee. "Southlake Families PAC" supported Yeager as well as two candidates who won seats on the school board in May.
Williams says issues like critical race theory and diversity training may have drawn attention to Carroll ISD, but similar discussions are taking place across the country.
"Once we have conversations, and once we get back to talking about kids, not politics, I believe we'll be able to move forward," she says.
The most recent local election in Tarrant County was in May. Turnout was just 14.17%. Both candidates say the issues drawing national attention now highlight the importance of understanding and voting in local races.
"Awareness in local elections has gone up," Yeager says. "There have been some prominent people, they have said the most important elections are your city council and your school board."
"That has been the single best thing about all this: Meeting other people who also love Southlake, who also love Carroll schools and just want us to be better together," Williams says.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD
