NIC ACCREDITATION: Loss will affect all North Idaho families

Let me state first that North Idaho is extremely fortunate to have a fine institution of higher learning like North Idaho College.

I was principal of Coeur d’Alene High School from 1993 to 2006. In 2006, statistics indicated that Idaho’s graduation rate was about 80%. Less than 40% of those students went on to some form of post-secondary education with only 20% receiving a college degree. The state of Idaho, hoping to improve the “go on” rate worked with high schools and colleges to create an opportunity that provided “real life” learning, incorporating more rigor in the senior curriculum, and stimulating exploration of life opportunities beyond high school.

I retired from CHS in 2006 and was selected as NIC’s Dual Credit Coordinator. This was a fledgling program, but I worked with high schools in North Idaho to promote a program that truly served students’ best interests in post-secondary education in a cost-efficient manner. Thanks go to the state of Idaho for their insight to help create such a valuable opportunity. We had less than 10 dual credit students graduate that year, but the program continually gains momentum. The schools and NIC are ever increasing class offerings available in the schools, as well on campus at NIC. In 2021, there were 75 dual credit graduates; in 2022 there were 90. In 2023, NIC is expecting 110 “candidates for graduation.”

What happens if NIC loses its accreditation due to divisive, noncollaborative decision making? The state of Idaho provides $4,125 for student use in grades 7-12 attending an Idaho public school for educational and career pathways. All North Idaho families will feel the loss of the Dual Credit Program that helps students get an affordable, post-secondary education.

STEVE CASEY

Hayden