School boards are the biggest elections of 2021

By Nomin Ujiyediin,

Published November 2, 2021 at 4:00 AM CDT

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It's Election Day in Kansas, and the most contentious races may actually be for your local school board — which have become battlegrounds for issues like face masks and "critical race theory." Also, experts say Missouri's lack of mental health coverage may be causing physicians to over-prescribe anti-anxiety meds.

Nov. 2 is Election Day in Kansas, where hundreds of seats on local school boards are up for grabs. These usually low key races are now the center of attention as school board meetings become the center of protests around "critical race theory," COVID-19 and other issues. Kansas News Service education reporter Suzanne Perez and editor Stephen Koranda break down these newly polarized and partisan elections.

Before COVID-19 hit, Missouri had the 4th highest rate in the country of residents taking anti-anxiety pills. KCUR's Alex Smith reports that the state's lack of mental health care coverage leads to doctors over-prescribing these medications, which can cause long-lasting problems for patients.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and edited by Gabe Rosenberg & Lisa Rodriguez