Frank Zykan For Wright City School Board 2025

Vote April 8, 2025

Frank's Report Card

Saving Tax Payer Dollars

Saved $27,300 in architectural fees for East Elementary second expansion by negotiating a contract with better terms with Bond Architects prior to start of board meeting. These negotiated terms protected the district in the event of either high or low bids. There were board members who still wished to approve the original contract at a higher cost, and one board member who voted against the approval of the revised contract.

Saved over $100,000 on classroom trailer for Early Education expansion. Despite the board approving the purchase of a new trailer for $171,000, they rescinded that decision and purchased a preowned trailer for $1,000. I had located this trailer at a neighboring school district and presented this as an option at a board meeting.

Would have saved $300,000 to $500,000 on the East Elementary expansion had they implemented my suggestion of constructing in a single phase instead of two.

Would have saved approximately $1,000,000 in architectual fees had they implemented my suggestion of capping Bond Architect’s fees based on their inaccurate estimates.

Would have saved over $10,000 on fees to replace temporary water main for residents of Fast Lane had they used my bid from a reputable contractor to negotiate with their onsite contractor.

Would have saved money on the emergency boiler replacement at East Elementary. Bid to replace two boilers presented in the amount of $307,365. I was able to locate another district who approved a bid to replace a single boiler (same make and model) in July of 2024 for $68,888. Although I would expect to pay a premium for emergency service, and no two jobs are alike, there appears to be plenty of opportunity to improve on that cost.

Meeting With The Board President

After the April 2023 election I met with our Board President to discuss several issues I felt needed to be immediately addressed and how I would address them. The following is a list of some of those concerns, my solutions, and where we stand today as a result:

Staff Retention Due To Excessive Turnover Rate

District had been focused on pay increases to increase retention
I pointed out that exit surveys showed many areas of concern that ranked higher than salary such as supervision, working conditions, communication, evaluation processes, and administrative support among others.
I suggested focusing on these issues instead. The solution to these problems only involved effort and could be improved with no monetary cost to the district.
The most recent exit survey has shown a vast improvement over previous surveys as these topics have been addressed throughout the previous year.

Teachers Afraid Of Providing Input Due To Repercussions

Many teachers in our district have refrained from voicing concerns due to the fear of retribution.
I suggested implementing additional methods of anonymous communication, and recommended taking efforts to allow our staff members to feel safe while also being heard.
It is unclear which efforts, if any, have been made in this regard.

Student Attendance

We have had serious unaddressed student attendance issues for years
I suggested communicating with the students and families to determine the leading causes of absenteeism and then making efforts to address those causes by working as a team with those students and their families.
Some board members suggested they already possessed this information. If so, they failed to share it or take action. Other board members suggested involving law enforcement to enforce truancy laws.
New Superintendent Dr. Salvo has taken my approach and has suggested working with families as the first step in combating this issue.

Student Safety

A regular complaint from parents and students is bullying.
I have assisted many families navigate this issue, and suggested that the district needed to continue its efforts to reduce the number of these incidents as it has a detrimental effect upon the entire student body.
The district has continued to make efforts to combat bullying. Our student body still believes it to be an issue which needs attention, but the number of reports I have received from parents has continued to decrease.

School Security

As a security professional I identified several areas within our schools which needed to be addressed. Due to the nature of these measures, I will not list them publicly.
These issues were addressed, and our students and staff are now more safe as a result.

School Resource Officers

I suggested that we have one school resource officer in each school building with k-12 students. At the time of this meeting we had one school resource officer.
We now have two school resource officers.

School Protection Officer Program

I suggested taking advantage of Missouri’s school protection officer program. Willing teachers and administrators could then volunteer to be trained and certified to carry concealed firearms on school property.
No public discussion or action has taken place regarding this topic.

Public Engagement & Community Relations

I have been a regular participant on several online forums which discuss all manner of topics involving the Wright City School District. It is not uncommon for us to bring breaking news to the public first, answer questions from parents, and assist those who are facing difficulties with their children and our schools.

I was the first to video tape our board meetings and publish them at my expense for public consumption. Although I still often make my own recordings, the district began to offer their version two years after I began.

I have attended public meetings where our district should have been represented but was entirely absent. These meetings often dealt with issues that would impact tax revenues for the district, and other entities had representatives present to represent their interests.

I have knocked on many doors and spoken with hundreds of residents about our schools, the areas they excel in, and the areas which need improvement. In many cases our students have been present and provided me with their own opinions based on their first hand experience.

Advocating For Our Students

I fought against masking, fraudulent “quarantine orders” issued by our district purporting to come from the health department, and the unconstitutional treatment of our students during COVID. These mandates implemented by local health agencies were later ruled to be unconstitutional in Missouri courts, and schools were able to return to normal seated instruction.

I have helped countless students and their parents navigate school related issues.

I have been a constant voice for more effective curriculum, consistent classroom discipline, retention of high quality teachers, and a school environment that promotes the desire to attend and learn.

I have promoted, attended, and donated to many events that directly benefit our students and their endeavors.

On The Issues

Academic Excellence

59% of Wright City students are not proficient in Math, 57% are not proficient in English Language Arts, 62% are not proficient in Science, and 60% are not proficient in Social Studies.

I am in favor of a knowledge-based curriculum with a strong emphasis on traditional core subjects free from ideological or divisive slants. With few exceptions, I am opposed to our schools wading into issues involving morals, religion, or sexuality as I feel those topics are best left to the individual families. The public should also have easy, full, and transparent access to all curricula.

Safe Schools

Bullying continues to be common complaint from parents and students. As a board member I will support utilizing existing anti-bullying policies more effectively and/or modifying our policies to better address the needs of our students.

I support having a School Resource Officer in each of our K-12 school buildings, and the implementation of a variety of security measures to protect our students while on campus,

Fiscal Responsibility

I believe there is much room for improvement when it comes to our districts use of tax dollars. The first phase of the new high school which was $15,000,000 over budget, a tax abatement that will cost our district over $82,000,000 in lost tax revenues over the next 20 years, and many examples of wasteful spending when better decisions could have been made act as examples. I will advocate for better fiscal control and oversight.

Parental Rights & Involvement

Parents have the right to make decisions regarding their children’s education, health care, morals, and beliefs.

I will foster higher levels of transparency and communication with parents to ensure that their concerns are not only heard, but also taken into account.

Attendance

Only 78% of our students attend school at least 90% of the time. Our district has failed to take action to determine the root causes and formulate corrective measures. Our students need to be safe at school, know that we care about them and their success, and be treated with dignity and respect. I believe that relationships can be established and other improvements made which would motivate students with attendance issues to participate on a more regular basis. Our first attempts to correct this issue SHOULD NOT involve law enforcement.

Radical Agendas

I am against all attempts to cause confusion and harm to our students, and am for policies that will protect our children and promote a safe educational environment.

I am against the lowering of educational standards, gender and racial indoctrination, inappropriate materials within our schools, and biological males competing against biological female athletes or being allowed access to their restrooms and locker facilities.

My Commitment

To Our Students:

I believe that all students in our district should receive the most robust, knowledge-based, traditional education our tax dollars can afford. I will support an effective learning environment where our students are safe, supported, treated fairly and equally, and inspired to achieve.

To Our School Staff:

I believe that our teachers and staff are the greatest contributing factor to student achievement. I will endorse fair compensation and benefits, a supportive work environment, and training and development opportunities. Teacher recruitment and retention are a priority.

To The Parents:

I believe that parents have the primary responsibility for the education of their children and that the fundamental obligation of our school district is to support that role. I will defend parental rights, encourage involvement, and restore productive dialogue.

To Our Community:

I will continue to engage with our community, promote conversations, improve transparency, and support responsible stewardship of your hard-earned tax dollars. I believe we can build upon our current foundations to provide an exceptional public education to the next generations of our community.

Meet Frank

I was born and raised in St. Charles, MO. I attended the St. Charles School District graduating from St. Charles High School, then attended SMSU (now known as MSU) to study business management with an emphasis in entrepreneurship.

My partner Renee and I purchased our home within the Wright City School District in 2012 when our oldest child was two. Our son now attends Wright City Middle School as an eighth-grade student while our daughter attends Wright City West Elementary as a third grader.

I am a business veteran that has been involved with several small businesses, many of which I founded. I am best known for my security business which I founded at the age of 14. This company specializes in the sale, service, and rigging of safes and bank vaults.

My Involvement

School Board Meetings:

I have regularly attended board meetings in person dating back to August 2021.
I have attended most special board meetings in person.
I have addressed the board as a member of the public on multiple occasions. These comments pertained to a number of issues including our district’s handling of Covid, lack of communication and transparency, systemic student bullying, our district expansion and construction projects, local tax concerns, and other topics of concern.

Parent Engagement:

I actively participate in local parent groups which focus on student and district related issues.
I meet with parents to assist with the issues they have experienced. These situations involve topics such as bullying, being new to the district, missing children, making reports to law enforcement, and navigating general bureaucracy.

Public Engagement:

I began video recording and publishing our school board meetings as of May 2022 at my personal expense. This is the first time our board meetings have ever been available to the public in video format, allowing viewers to witness public speakers, student presentations, guest speakers, and regular board business at a time and place convenient to them. These videos have resulted in over 1,000 views allowing members of our community to watch a board meeting who otherwise would not have had the opportunity.

Past Videos Showing Topics Of Concern:

GET INVOLVED

Participate In Person

For the sake of our students and the Wright City community, we must be involved. Please consider attending our board meetings where many of these topics are discussed and voted upon. You can make public comments, simply observe, or support others in attendance who share your concerns. Board meetings are held at 6:00 PM at the administrative offices located at 90 Bell Rd. Future board meetings: January 25th, February 15th, March 21st, and Tuesday April 16th.

Participate Online

You are not alone! There are many other parents who share the same concerns you do when it comes to our children, and our voices are louder as a collective. You can find Wright City Parents For Change, and WC Parents Against Bullying on Facebook. If you do not use Facebook let an involved parent know as there are other ways to participate.

I also post videos of our board meetings on Youtube. If you are unable to attend meetings in person, please consider watching them online.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBVH0doQwgBHNI6h2DdAMw

Talk To Your Children, Friends, & Neighbors

We are a tightknit community and communication is key. Help by starting conversations, discussing ideas, and encouraging involvement within our school district.

Vote On April 8, 2025

You should vote and encourage your neighbors, friends, and families to do the same. Municipal elections have a notoriously low turnout, yet these elected positions have the greatest impact on our community and everyday lives.

2025/04/08 08:00:00