On April 15, what was supposed to be a public input forum regarding the future location of North Idaho College’s professional technical program, seemed to be more of a sales presentation by newly elected NIC Trustee Ron Nilson to split the NIC campus and move 1,000 students nine miles north to Rathdrum. Mr. Nilson, who is described by the Coeur d’Alene Press as “a large employer in need of a technically trained workforce… with strong opinions on how NIC’s technical program should be built out and where it should be located,” strongly advocated building the new Professional Technical Education facility next to K-Tech of which he is a founding board member.

While this option will undoubtedly serve Mr. Nilson’s personal business and vision of regional growth, it doesn’t work well for the students, as is clearly demonstrated in a study prepared by RGU Architecture and Planning commission by the NIC Board. Students in the Pro/Tech program will become second-class students without easy access to all of the services provided by the Coeur d’Alene Educational Corridor. Students will need transportation between the campuses (no bus service) to take non-technical classes for their degree, use the library, get tutoring or any of the myriad of provided on campus including access to the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College and Boise State University.

Find out more information and show your support for keeping the NIC campus whole. There will be two more public input meetings, April 29 and May 6, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the North Idaho College Student Union Building.

JEFFERSON BURNS

Sandpoint