Conservative candidates seek to reshape Maryland school boards with right-wing PAC support

Conservative candidates in Somerset, Frederick, Howard, and Talbot counties are campaigning on platforms that include restricting certain library books, eliminating diversity initiatives, and emphasizing fiscal conservatism and school choice, The Baltimore Banner reported.

These candidates have received about $40,000 from the right-wing 1776 Project PAC to support their campaigns. They argue their agenda will increase parental influence over school curricula and reduce teachers' union power.

In Somerset County, right-wing school board members have controlled the board for 18 months, during which state officials have intervened to block actions like firing the superintendent and enforcing age restrictions on library books. The board recently passed a book policy considered the most restrictive in the state, prompting challenges from the ACLU and the state's largest teachers union.

The 1776 Project's spending is heavily focused on Frederick County, where four conservative candidates are running. The Frederick teachers union has endorsed a liberal slate to oppose them. Despite increased activism, school board races typically see low voter turnout, making outcomes uncertain.

If these conservative candidates succeed, clashes between county school boards and state education officials may become more frequent, according to the report.