YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A politically divisive topic was at the forefront of Central York School district voters’ minds as they headed to the polls Tuesday:
A book ban.
"This is particularly important for me this year that there are certain candidates on our school board that align with my beliefs as a teacher and also as a parent of a student in the district," said Natalie Coleman, a resident of Manchester Township.
The school district faced a book ban controversy when it removed two books from its library shelves in January. In June, the school board reversed that decision and implemented policy 109.1, which created a book rating system and allowed parents to keep their children from reading certain books without banning those books for all students.
Seats on that school board were up for grabs in this year’s election with nine candidates vying for five seats. Tuesday was a chance for parents to choose the next group of members they feel will best address an issue that will have a direct impact on their kids.
"It’s important that they see that every cause is a good cause," said Crystal Mitchell Tilson, whose daughter attends Central York High School. "Book banning [is] not really something I would ever think I would still hear in my lifetime, but it is and it happens to be a hot topic at which the institution at which my child is being educated."
It’s a contentious topic that brought out an increased number of voters in the area.
"A lot of people caring about the issues on either side," said Tim Law, a poll worker at Manchester Township Precinct 2. "Regardless of which way people vote, we live in a representative republic, and I think it’s great we have this turnout."
Many within the Central York community hope that after Tuesday’s election results, they can move on and come together to find common ground.
"I like to see that issue put to bed," said Law. "What we really need is to unify this great district."