Mike Waggoner, North Idaho College Trustee Zone 5

KREM · December 2024 (archive)

Former trustees Banducci, McKenzie, and Waggoner directed NIC to cover full tuition, fees, room, board, and a round-trip flight for all out-of-state and international athletes.
NIC's athletics budget ballooned from $2.2 million to $6.2 million.
NIC was forced to cut golf and impose a $1.8 million two-year austerity plan across all remaining sports.

Idaho Ed News · December 2024 (archive)

At the September 27, 2023 board meeting, the majority authorized NJCAA "full-fare" participation: full tuition, room, board, books, and a flight home for every out-of-state and international athlete.
The accreditor's report cited $40,000 per athlete, inflating the athletics budget by $4 million annually and contributing to a projected $5.2 million operating deficit.
Golf was eliminated, affecting 11 student-athletes, with NIC still obligated to honor scholarship commitments through Spring 2026.

KHQ · November 2023 (archive)

He became the fourth board chair in 18 months while NIC was under its worst accreditation threat.
A community advocate said after five years of trying to fix the board, this still wasn't good for the college.

Idaho Ed News · November 2023 (archive)

He, McKenzie, and Banducci are documented as a coordinated KCRCC bloc on the board.
Even his opponents voted for him as chair, hoping he could stop the accreditation crisis they had caused.

Coeur d'Alene Press · September 2023 (archive)

A former NIC trustee said he "voted to support almost every bad decision" the KCRCC bloc made.
The majority hired an attorney who had donated to all three of their campaigns, then had him declare the president's contract void.

Spokane Public Radio · April 2023 (archive)

For the second time in six months they tried to remove the president. A fellow trustee said they were "one bad board meeting away from losing accreditation."
A court had already ruled they could not challenge the president's hiring. They did it anyway.

KREM · December 2022 (archive)

Named by the NIC staff assembly chair as one of three board members of concern alongside Banducci and McKenzie.
Faculty and staff both passed no-confidence resolutions as the accreditor publicly declared the board "dysfunctional."

Spokesman-Review · November 2022 (archive)

His campaign website complained about "un-American and anti-White programs" at NIC with no evidence provided.
The Spokesman-Review said these echoed claims "widely circulated among conspiracy theorists and the alt-right." He did not respond to requests for comment.

Coeur d'Alene Press · November 2022 (archive)

The CDA Press said if NIC lost accreditation, it would be "solely on the shoulders" of him and his two colleagues.

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