BUXTON, Maine — Dozens of school districts in Maine are in the full swing of school board elections.
In districts like MSAD 6, which covers Buxton, Standish, Hollis, Limington and Frye Island, the school board election is representative of thousands of residents.
More notable, MSAD 6 was caught at the center of a debate school districts faced with some community members nationwide—an attempt to limit the kind of books available for children.
This school year, four seats on the school board are open. One from Buxton, another from Standish, Limington, and Frye Island.
Frye Island, with fewer than 100 residents, has a candidate running for reelection unopposed. The other candidates bring voters a choice come this June.
NEWS CENTER Maine reached out to all candidates running and spoke with Paul Leach, a Buxton resident who has a daughter at Buxton Center Elementary.
"I want the sense of community back," Leach said while standing in front of the elementary school.
Leach said the district can do more to host community events, allowing neighbors to know each other more on a personal level.
"Whether or not they agree on ways to raise their children, that they can hang out with each other... as parents it is our goal to set an example for the kids of what real civil discussion and behaviors are," Leach said.
He said the division continued to grow when community members would speak out at school board meetings.
"It seems like there is a misalignment those constant outcries of the books is a direct response to that," Leach said.
Superintendent Clay Gleason said the national conversations surrounding book bans put a larger eye on who is on the school board.
"Generally I would say there is more interest in school boards now," Gleason said. "I think it is important for people to know who they are voting for. It's important to know what matches your values."
Superintendent Gleason said one of the big issues is deciding how to address the school's aging infrastructure, as it would cost community members money to repair or rebuild certain facilities
"I think the most successful board members are the ones that care about the community," Gleason said.
There are a total of seven school board candidates at MSAD 6 and the election takes place in June.