On Sept. 26, the Board of Education (BOE) voted unanimously to reject the challenges that could have restricted access to books in our school libraries. With this vote, Kristen Peck and her fellow BOE members support the rights of students to work toward empathy and personal belonging through their education.

Two years ago, Independent Guilford, a new locally-focused third party, was established in town. Our community overwhelmingly supported candidates who wanted to continue the excellent academic success of our schools while preparing our students for the broader world. For the past two years, Guilford has greatly benefited from a collaborative Board of Education, whose members include incumbent Independent candidate Kristen Peck, who is running for reelection this fall. The recent vote to reject book banning demonstrates their commitment to intellectual freedom, open discussion, and the importance of exploring a range of perspectives in education. On Tuesday, Nov. 7, join me in voting for Kristen Peck and the other incumbent BOE candidates, and let’s keep Guilford moving forward.

Barbra Hargraves

Guilford