Nic Students Pressing For Recall Ask Fairgoers To Sign On To Campaign Seeking To Remove 3 College Trustees

North Idaho College students are hoping their booth at the fair this week will bring the last-minute surge of signatures needed to trigger a recall election.

“We’re hoping it will push us over the edge,” said Renee Scott, Associated Students of North Idaho president.

The students have collected half of the signatures needed for an election to recall Barb Chamberlain, Jeanne Givens and Bob Ely - three members of college’s board of trustees. The students are unhappy with the trustees’ fiscal management, lack of communication and tuition increases.

Dozens of residents are signing on to the effort at the fair, many in response to the ousting of former NIC President Bob Bennett, who took with him $142,000 in exchange for a promise not to sue.

“I’m a taxpayer who thinks that’s a terrible waste of money. I hope there’s enough of us,” said Coeur d’Alene resident Caroline Crollard, who took home a card so her husband could send in his signature, too.

The board of trustees raised tuition by $25 the first meeting after students left town, Scott said. In addition, students are still paying an $83 fee for health insurance that was dropped last year - making it a de facto tuition increase.

When students asked for $200,000 to help pay for the remodeling of the student union building, they were denied because of lack of funds, Scott said.

The board then turned around and paid former NIC President Bob Bennett $142,000 to resign, without telling taxpayers or students their motives for the deal.

“It’s like going to the store, and you don’t know what you are charged for, but you are paying it,” said NIC Sophomore Senator Ken Spatz.

“That money would be better used for education. If they told us why, then maybe we could justify it.”

NIC students need 14,828 petition signatures by Sept. 2 for each of the three college trustees they hope to recall.

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