Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania was once considered the epicenter of the classroom culture wars. In recent years, it banned books, prohibited pride flags in classrooms and implemented a gender identification process that required teachers to only use names and pronouns listed in official school databases, even if a student requested otherwise.
But in little-noticed school board elections earlier this month, voters rebuked those decisions by electing four Democrat-endorsed candidates and, in the process, cemented a 9-0 liberal majority on the board. While Democrats previously held the majority, the gains for full control of the board showed a vote of confidence from constituents.
Central Bucks, located in a county that elected Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and won by President Donald Trump in 2024, was part of a larger Democratic sweep of school board elections across the country this November. In states like Kansas, Idaho, Colorado and Texas where issues around transgender student athletes and banned books dominated the past few election cycles, some Democrats were able to pull off longshot bids.