[Ed. Note: Carly Franks of Kingfisher has authorized the Times & Free Press to publish the following announcement of her candidacy for re-election to Kingfisher Board of Education, Office No. 5, subject to the Feb. 11 primary election.]

My name is Carly Franks, I am seeking re-election to Seat #5 of the Kingfisher Board of Education.

I was born and raised in Kingfisher where my family has resided for more than four generations with a farming background.

I am married to Clinton Franks and have two children, Brandt Franks and Keely Franks.

Brandt is a 2017 graduate of Kingfi sher and is attending Oklahoma State University. Keely is currently a senior at KHS and will graduate in 2020.

I am a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Kingfi sher Rotary Club, Northwest Oklahoma Alliance Board and am a former president of the Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce.

I have been employed by Pioneer Telephone for the last 25 years where I currently hold the position of retail sales manager.

Over the last four years, we have seen many positive changes within our school district and have many projects still in the works.

In the classroom, we as a board aided teachers district-wide by replacing their dated computers.

Our Smart Boards were also becoming outdated, so we gave teachers options prior to purchasing and installing new, state-of-the-art TVs for their classrooms

We’ve kept our students at the forefront of technology by purchasing more than 1,200 Chromebooks, which are used daily.

As a board, we have implemented a plan to hire a reading specialist to work with our students and provide them learning and comprehension tools that will continue to benefit them throughout their time at KPS.

To further benefi t our female student-athletes, we voted for and saw through the construction of a brand-new Girls Athletic Complex on the high school campus.

There have been numerous infrastructure upgrades made to our campuses throughout the district.

And there is the Seventh and Eighth Grade Center that voters graciously approved in our most recent bond election. This facility is necessary to accommodate our growing enrollment.

Construction on this project will begin soon.

I am truly passionate about seeing this project, as well as all the others we have in the works, completed for the benefit of our students.

We, as a board, continue to focus on student achievement and the implementation of policies that will benefit each of our students.

I believe in investing in our children and the community in which we live.

As I travel throughout the state, I am always proud to tell those who will listen that I am from Kingfi sher.

One thing I always hear is: “You have an amazing school district and community.”

I truly believe it is due to the support that the community gives to each other and our children.

I ask for your vote on Feb. 11 for the Kingfi sher Board of Education, Seat #5.