Frank Zykan is a candidate running in the April 2024 election to serve a two year term as the R-II school district board of education in Wright City, MO.
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Name: Frank Zykan
Age: 47
Hometown: St. Charles, MO
Occupation: Self Employed
Position sought: Board Member
Previous political experience: None
Website or social media page: www.frankzykan.com or https://www.facebook.com/zykan.for.wright.city.school.board/
Why are you running and why should people vote for you?
I want our school district to work for everyone. I want to ensure that our students receive the most robust, knowledge-based, traditional education possible. I want to make sure that all district staff are treated and compensated fairly, with a focus on recruiting first-rate candidates and retaining our existing outstanding team members. I want to see parental rights and input defended, and to increase communication and community involvement within the district. I would also like to promote transparency, informed decision making and responsible fiscal stewardship to our community.
Our district has real concerns in all of these areas, and I believe my track record demonstrates that I would be a positive addition to the board.
What are your goals if elected?
There are many goals I would like to achieve but believe that there are a few that are more pressing than others and that I would like to address immediately.
I would like to bring more diversity of thought to our school board. In 2023, 100% of the board votes were unanimous despite there being several major topics with wide disagreement from within the community. We have also had several votes involving subjects that were not properly reviewed or where vital information was missed completely. This has cost our district and our taxpayers millions of dollars. I would bring more in-depth research on these agenda items up for discussion among the board members and cast votes based upon input from my constituents.
I believe that our district’s student attendance problem needs immediate attention. We have a district wide average daily attendance of 83%, and I would like to see a minimum of 90% of our students in seated attendance 90% of the time. I presented a plan of action on this topic last year, and although there has been a lot of talk there has been little action taken to rectify the issue.
I would also like to work on reducing our staff turnover rate. Our exit surveys show several areas that need improvement. Many of those who have departed our district have cited their supervisors, district policy, communication, and working conditions as contributing factors. The solutions to these issues involve zero expense to the district.
What issues are most pressing for your constituency?
The most pressing issue facing our district is expansion. We are at or near capacity in all of our buildings including the recently expanded East Elementary. The previous expansion plans which were made immediately prior to hiring a consultant, and recent property tax issues have put our district at a serious disadvantage. We will need to expand current facilities in the short term and will likely need to build new facilities in the not-so-distant future. My construction, real estate, and business experience may help avoid some of the missteps that have been made up to this point and assist in the responsible growth of our district.
