Alisha Wallis (left), a teacher at Beale Elementary in Mason County, is shown an augmented reality tablet computer app by Libby Jarom (center), a technology integration specialist, and Michelle Tharp, coordinator for the Infusing Technology program of the West Virginia Center for Professional Development. The center is losing nearly $800,000 in state appropriations for the next fiscal year.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A state educator training agency has seen annual budget cuts for about the past decade, but the one in store for next fiscal year is almost as large as all those cuts combined and equals about a third of its current state funding.
The West Virginia Center for Professional Development saw its state funding decrease nearly $900,000 from fiscal year 2008-2009 to this fiscal year, according to data provided by its chief operations officer Lorrie Smith. And the budget for next fiscal year, which begins July 1, will cut state funding from $2.3 million to $1.5 million, a nearly $800,000 cut.
Christy Day, the center’s communications director, said state law requires the agency to collect “nominal fees” for most of its sessions, which are “heavily subsidized” by state funding. She said the center estimates its total budget for next fiscal year will be about $2.5 million.
Smith said the cut has already led to the cancellation of the agency’s program to help teachers achieve National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification…
