Jim Friel is one of seven candidates seeking to fill the three seats on the ballot for the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) Board of Education in the upcoming City/School elections on Nov. 7. Friel is a long-time Carroll resident and has served as a Vice President Regional Manager for United Bank of Iowa for the last 24 years. Friel says he has been an active stakeholder in the district for over two decades as a taxpayer, community member, and parent, which led to his decision to run.
Friel says a significant amount of his attention is on the district, as his wife, Becky Boes, teaches there, and two of his children are currently enrolled. Their oldest daughter graduated from Carroll High and now attends Iowa State University (ISU). Their foster son is also a CHS graduate and is currently a freshman at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). Friel says he would bring a unique perspective to the school board with his history in finance and connections to the school as a parent and spouse.
The instructional support levy (ISL) renewal will be on the Nov. 7 ballot, alongside the candidates for the school board. Friel says he backs the ISL, as those additional funds for the district benefit the community in more ways than people realize.
According to Friel, candidates and voters need to understand the role of a school board. He says it is not a specific agenda or issue, but general district oversight.
Friel says for a school, or in Carroll’s case, schools, to be successful, it requires the entire community’s support, and he believes he is the candidate that can get parents, teachers, and stakeholders working together in the right direction. Friel is scheduled to appear alongside the six other candidates at the Carroll County Growth Partnership candidate forum on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 6:30 p.m. at CHS. Those candidates include Jason Schagt, Stacey McCaulley, Casie Forke-Burke, Jill Johnston, Cindy Scaturico, and Sara Woerdehoff.
