A coordinated and well-funded campaign to exalt God in the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Texas has divided local residents and raised alarm among religious liberty advocates who oppose what they view as a growing embrace of Christian nationalism in America.

"It's gotten ugly," said one parent running in Saturday's school board election. The race, which has been pitched by some as a battle between good and evil, is emblematic of a broader nationwide battle over LGBTQ inclusion in education and the role of public schools in imparting religious values.