LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There are fewer than 140 days until Election Day, and while many eyes are on the presidential race, several school board seats are up for grabs. 

Serving on a school board was different many years ago, said a Kentucky elections specialist. 

“When public service was just to promote schools and help out kids, when that’s how people viewed school board service, maybe that was gratifying," said Stephen Voss, University of Kentucky elections specialist. "Serving on the school board was just a way to be tight with the other parents."

But now, the job is different. Voss said some people are becoming more concerned over who is influencing culture in students.

“Educational institutions are the one place where it's easy to look for a culprit for cultural change and serving on school boards," he said. "Therefore, it's become a more political office and puts people in the middle of controversy in a way it didn't used to do."

People eyeing a spot on the school board, Voss said, are often looking to influence cultural values.  

“A lot of the controversy in education policy has involved either curricular and textbook (decisions), what goes on in the local school classroom or library, what sorts of books should or should not be made available to young children,” he said.

That politicization has often led to some turnover in the position.

“You do see people resigning or choosing not to run for reelection rather than continue in what's become a lot more controversial (job) than it used to be,” Voss said.

Out of the seven Jefferson County School Board members, four seats will have an election. At least two of those seats will have brand new members. 

The Fayette County School District has five members on the school board, and three of them are up for reelection in November.