North Idaho College

Between 2018 and 2022, the KCRCC placed three endorsed candidates on the North Idaho College Board of Trustees: Todd Banducci (Zone 3), Gregory McKenzie (Zone 4), and Mike Waggoner (Zone 5). Together they formed a 3-of-5 majority that fired the college president without cause, drove out senior administrators, triggered a federal accreditation investigation, and brought the college within a board vote of losing accreditation entirely. No Idaho college has ever lost accreditation.

• Six candidates vie for North Idaho College board as final accreditation decision looms
  Spokesman-Review · October 2024
  • The board's firing of President Nick MacLennan without cause cost taxpayers roughly $500,000 in wrongful termination settlement and back pay.
  • NIC went through three consecutive presidents and received the most serious accreditation threat possible under the KCRCC majority.
• Accreditation is central issue in NIC trustee races
  Idaho Ed News · October 2024
  • Banducci did not seek re-election in 2024; the KCRCC's next three NIC candidates all lost.
  • McKenzie, running under a "Make NIC Great Again" banner, also lost after claiming the college was doing "outstanding" while under its worst accreditation sanction.
• MY TURN: Here's how Banducci can be NIC hero
  Coeur d'Alene Press · March 2024
  • A fellow trustee called McKenzie "equally detrimental to the college's success" and publicly asked him to resign.
  • After four years of Banducci's tenure, the accreditor had suspended NIC's reviews until the college demonstrated improvement - a community voice called it "the gravest threat to the college in its 90-year history."
• Mike Waggoner replaces Greg McKenzie, becomes 4th NIC Board Chair in 18 months
  KHQ · November 2023
  • The KCRCC majority had cycled through four board chairs in 18 months while the college was under its worst accreditation threat.
  • A community advocate said the change still wasn't good enough after five years of trying to fix the board.
• North Idaho College board majority votes to 'nullify' president's contract
  Spokane Public Radio · April 2023
  • For the second time in six months, the KCRCC majority tried to remove the sitting president. A court had already ruled they could not challenge his hiring.
  • A fellow trustee said the board was "one bad board meeting away from losing accreditation."
• MY TURN: The tragedy at NIC
  Coeur d'Alene Press · September 2023
  • A former trustee documented that Waggoner "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 sitting president's contract void.
• NIC ELECTION OUTCOME: Another perspective
  Coeur d'Alene Press · November 2022
  • After Waggoner won the Zone 5 seat, the CDA Press wrote that if NIC lost accreditation, it would be "solely on the shoulders" of the three KCRCC trustees.
• North Idaho College board sees new chairman as 3 new trustees join
  Spokesman-Review · May 2022
  • Banducci and McKenzie sued to block state-appointed trustees from joining the board and lost. The lawsuit was funded with college money.
  • An incoming trustee called the environment "toxic" and warned the college could lose its liability insurance.
• A polarizing presence, at the center of North Idaho College's dysfunction
  Idaho Capital Sun · April 2022
  • Banducci led the vote to fire President MacLennan without cause and pushed to replace him with the college's wrestling coach.
  • Banducci told the president he was expected to take "marching orders" from board members; faculty passed votes of no confidence.
  • McKenzie voted to fire the president and publicly defended the board's actions when fellow trustees called for accountability.
• Elephants in the room
  Coeur d'Alene Press · March 2022
  • A woman told the Press that McKenzie approached her at a KCRCC meeting and tried to recruit her for a scheme to infiltrate the Kootenai Democratic Party by registering as Democrats. (archive)
  • McKenzie told the Press he did not recall the conversation.
• Former North Idaho College President to receive $500K of compensation after his firing
  KREM · 2022
  • The state's insurer paid $250,000 to settle MacLennan's wrongful termination lawsuit.
  • MacLennan also received a full year of salary and benefits, bringing the total cost to taxpayers to about $500,000.
• North Idaho College accreditation threatened by trustees' actions, report says
  Spokane Public Radio · March 2022
  • The accreditor's official report found that Banducci believed his job was to purge the college of "deep state" administrators and had pressured faculty over Covid policy and grades.
  • The board majority's actions drove out all three Vice Presidents and a Dean.
• Partisan politics poisoning NIC
  Coeur d'Alene Press · September 2021
  • Experienced attorneys told the board not to proceed with firing the president; they were ignored.
  • Banducci did not graduate from high school.
• North Idaho College's accreditation at risk as commission investigates Board of Trustees conduct
  Spokesman-Review via Wenatchee World · May 2021
  • The college president reported credible allegations that Banducci physically assaulted a female employee at a college event in 2019.
  • The accreditor found the board majority's collective actions had driven out all three Vice Presidents and a Dean.