A sacrifice that saves the day

North Idaho College has lost its two greatest champions.

If ever there was a local example of losing a battle to win a war, this is it. What NIC has gained is its greatest chance not just to survive, but to thrive.

Christie Wood and Ken Howard resigned Friday, effective May 3. The two longest-tenured current trustees understood that the only way to temporarily halt the freight train steaming toward oblivion was to vacate their positions, leaving the Idaho State Board of Education to replace them and the vacant Zone 5 seat, previously held by Michael Barnes.

It’s sad — in fact, it’s tragic — that the so-called “nuclear option” had to be employed because the honorable step forward was ignored. Trustee Chair Todd Banducci could have resigned after leading the board and college into serious academic danger, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen because he is driven more by ego than desire to help the institution and the community it serves. So Wood and Howard are gone while Banducci and his accomplice, Greg McKenzie, remain.

For those who see this as a very temporary fix, it’s hard to argue. As we stated Friday, the goal of Banducci & Co. is to stall until the November general election, when they and their supporters aim to gain full control of the board. Perhaps that will happen, but in the meantime, damage comes to an immediate halt, and actual progress looms near if the state board fills the three vacancies with qualified, conscientious citizens.

Those three can supplant Banducci as chair and immediately let in the fresh air of public comment. They can rebuild the foundation of shared governance, where all voices are heard and respected; where the environment doesn’t support intimidation and petty meddling. They can build a budget, hire a strong president and ensure that steps outlined by the college’s accrediting organization are followed rigorously.

Frankly, there are some in the community who would like to see NIC shift from a locally elected board to state control, which would ease the property tax burdens of Kootenai County citizens but also relinquish some power. That’s likely too big a leap in this state of emergency, too radical a move when smaller, strategic steps will suffice.

Meantime, lament the loss of Wood and Howard but salute the extraordinary effort they both put into making NIC the best it could be. Unlike their colleagues, Howard and Wood epitomize the term “public servant,” putting duty first to the very last.