Julie Francois for Maplewood-Richmond Heights Board of Education
Friends and neighbors, My name is Julie Francois and I am running for Maplewood Richmond Heights School District Board of Education. The election is on April 8, 2025.
I live in Maplewood with my husband, Kevan Fruendt, and two children, Max and Anna. Max (or Max-a-roni) is a 6th grader and Anna a 4th grader at MRH Elementary. Kevan and I moved to St. Louis over 25 years ago, Kevan for a job and I for graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis to earn my PhD in biochemistry. Fast forward a few years, and Kevan is now a Senior Internal Audit Manager for Enterprise Bank and Trust and I am a Global Regulatory Manager for cotton crops at Bayer CropScience.
I believe that my professional career and education as a scientist and my extensive volunteer service and leadership in finance and people management have me well-prepared for this position.
In my current role at work, I play a critical part in managing the creation and submission of regulatory studies and reports, focusing on delivering high-quality, accurate, and timely results that meet global regulatory requirements. In this role, I use both soft and technical skills to collect, analyze and summarize the data and work with government regulatory agencies worldwide. I believe these skills will be useful on the school board to be able to listen, ask questions, analyze the data, collaborate, communicate, and position MRH for long term success.
My volunteer work in our community confirms my commitment to those who teach and serve our students. As an active leader of the MRH PTO, I work collaboratively with parents and school staff to enhance the educational environment for our students and staff. I know first-hand how hard our amazing teachers and staff work, and that their work is making a difference. However, snacks and gifts only go so far, so I want to be on the school board and be a part of the work needed to get our staff salaries to where they should be.
Since 2019, I have proudly served as a board member for Good Shepherd School for Children, a non-profit childcare center, preschool and therapy center, with a mission to provide an inclusive environment for children with and without special needs (no religious affiliation). As a board member, I assisted GSS in navigating the financial, health and safety challenges presented by the pandemic, and we are currently encountering similar obstacles as other non-profits as we struggle to maintain financial support to sustain and grow our mission. I am actively engaged in Pack and Troop 362 of Scouting America (BSA) to guide our youth in developing leadership skills and a sense of civic responsibility. Through these and other volunteer roles, I am continuously inspired by the power of community and the positive impact we can achieve together.
I believe it is critical for school board members to be aware of all the state and federal legislature proposals on public education and education funding. I have been in frequent contact with state and federal representatives regarding recent education bills. I have all their contact info stored in my phone to make it easier to find. I follow many education advocacy groups in Missouri to stay up to date. This passion is driven by my own family’s need for public education as my oldest has an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) through the SSD (Special School District). Private schools can turn him away on a whim (something we have experienced first hand with summer camps) and will not have the accommodations he needs to be successful. However, public schools provide accommodations. I will always be a champion for all of our students at the local, state, and federal level.
I am running for MRH School Board because I am deeply committed to our students’ education. Our School Board needs to be receptive to innovative ideas, particularly in light of the current climate regarding public school funding, curriculum and challenges to inclusion of all students. Despite these obstacles, it is crucial to maintain MRH’s identity, traditions and distinctive teaching metaphors. I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Maplewood Richmond Heights on School Board. As I work toward the election on April 8, 2025, I look forward to connecting with you, my neighbors, to learn what you want to prioritize and value in our school. Together we can do great things!