BOARD: Barbara Frank

Barbara Frank has over 20 years experience in public education and is currently the Principal of Lowell Elementary on Missoula's Westside.

Frank has devoted her career to underserved populations in both Special Education and Title I schools. She has recently been working to build innovative partnerships between public schools and community agencies to create equitable opportunities for students and families living in low income communities. Through her work at Lowell Elementary, Missoula County Public Schools formed an initial partnership with the City of Missoula to become Missoula's first Community School. This collaborative model has led to additional community partnerships with Missoula agencies including the Missoula Foodbank and Community Center, Missoula United Way, Partnership Health Center, Headwaters Foundation, Dan Fox Youth Homes and now Friends of the Children- Montana.

Frank earned her Bachelor Degrees in Elementary and Special Education from Montana State University- Billings, a Masters in School Counseling from MSU-B, and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Montana State University-Bozeman.

Upon graduation from Montana State University in 2013, Frank was selected by the College of Education as the Top Ranked Graduate. She also contributed to a 2014 MSU research study published in The Researcher, titled Trust and Maintaining Academic Optimism.

Frank has served her community as the Vice Chair of the Lockwood SD #26 School Board, a board member for Billings CASA and Montana Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (MT-ASCD), and is a founding board member for the Friends of the Children-Montana chapter.

Frank is a third generation Montanan who hails from Billings. Frank enjoys spending her free time with her husband Casey and their 4 children exploring Montana's amazing mountains, lakes, and rivers.