Bayard, NM - Grant County native Frances Gonzales is running for Position 4 on the Cobre Consolidated School Board.

Gonzales, a graduate of Cobre High School and Western New Mexico University, values education. She is the daughter of the late Herminio "Chumino" and Maria Gonzales.

Gonzales has a background in leadership positions in a wide range of positions. She retired from a successful career in criminal justice, leading agencies in Arizona and New Mexico.

While in Arizona, Gonzales was appointed by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to serve as a Tribal Liaison, which included serving on the Education Committee for Indian Country, through the AZ Department of Indian Education and Special Education.

In 1998, Gonzales was appointed to be municipal judge in Bayard. That initiated a decade long career in the criminal justice system leading partnerships with state agencies and large non-profit organizations.

Since retirement, Gonzales has been connected with several community organizations including AFSCME Local 3188, Local 890, Historic and Preservation Society, Veterans Forgotten Memorial, CASA Training, Walk for the Heroes, and the Republican Party of Grant County.

"I love Grant County and I love the mining district," said Gonzales. "I'm passionate about moving us forward and helping secure a bright future for our kids in Bayard and the surrounding communities."

Gonzales plans to focus on the financial status of the district and plans to work with the other members to secure a financially stable future for the district. Gonzales plans to use her lobbying skills for bills that will benefit the Cobre Schools.

"As a community member and from the mining district, I'm concerned about the fiscal management of the budget," explained Gonzales. "Federal mandates have resulted in increased expenditures in Food Services, as well as outsourcing the cooks and management in Food Services."

A second focus will be the state mandated PARCC (Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers) Test.

"A concern of mine is that the PARCC Test requires computers for testing and Cobre Schools will need to meet this requirement," explained Gonzales. " The second part of this test is students who don't meet the cut off criteria graduate, but receive certificates rather than a diploma. This is a concern and needs further discussion with our legislators."

For more information, Gonzales can be reached at fgonzales2@hotmail.com.