Education News Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Higher Ed Provides Options For Alderson Broaddus Students

Chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission Sarah Armstrong Tucker said the dire state of the school’s finances brought this action by the commission.

Updated on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 at 4:47 p.m.

Monday, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) revoked Alderson Broaddus University’s authorization to award degrees in West Virginia.

These actions come as a result of the university’s outstanding utility bill of more than $775,000.

A few years ago, the private Baptist university was placed on notice by the commission over a financial shortfall. Last week, the City of Philippi informed the university that its utilities would be cut by Monday, July 31, if it fails to pay an outstanding bill of $775,598.70.

Chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission Sarah Armstrong Tucker said the dire state of the school’s finances brought this action by the commission.

“The commission did not believe, and I do not believe, that Alderson Broaddus would have been able to stay open for the course of the semester,” Tucker said. “As I [said] in the commission meeting, that is the worst-case scenario for their students.”

Student-athletes and international students will be arriving at the private school as soon as this week. Fall classes are set to start next month.

Tucker said students could lose federal aid and transfer credits if their school were to shut down mid-semester, so the commission stepped in.

“I’m certain that lots of students feel like this moment, maybe the worst-case scenario for them,” Tucker said. “But had we allowed the institution to bring students on the campus, and they failed in the middle of the semester, all of the money that students had paid, they would be out all of their federal financial aid.”

According to a statement from the Chairman of the Alderson Broaddus University Board of Trustees and Governors James Garvin, the board voted to develop a plan of dissolution for the university Monday night.

“The Alderson Broaddus Board of Trustees voted tonight to develop a plan of dissolution for the university in the aftermath of this afternoon’s decision by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. The Board and the administration will be communicating more tomorrow about its specific plans for assisting students, faculty and staff dealing with the changes resulting from today’s action by the HEPC.”

Since Monday’s action, schools throughout the Mountain State and beyond have offered assistance and options to the university’s roughly 800 students.

“Frankly, all of the private and public institutions in the state of West Virginia have stood up,” Tucker said. “They are all ready and willing to take students as transfer students and to make this happen as seamlessly as possible.”

The Higher Education Policy Commission worked directly with Davis and Elkins College and West Virginia Wesleyan College to offer scholarships and expedited enrollment for students who had planned to attend or return to Alderson Broaddus in the fall.

The following schools have issued releases stating their offerings for incoming Alderson Broaddus students:

West Virginia State University
- Will waive the application fees for Alderson Broaddus students and will provide an expedited transcript review to ensure admission for the fall 2023 semester.
Glenville State University
- President Dr. Mark Manchin has decided to award scholarships to all ABU students. In addition, GSU will guarantee housing placement and the school’s financial aid staff will help with equivalent financial aid packaging.
Davis and Elkins College
- Will provide students with a rapid admission process and offer the tools and resources for student success.
West Virginia Wesleyan College
- Will provide these students with fast and free priority applications and thorough transcript evaluations.
Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA
- Those students who reach out to Point Park will undergo an expedited process that will include a transcript review, financial aid package and discounted housing.
Frostburg State University, Maryland
- Frostburg State University’s Office of Admissions will host a virtual event exclusively for AB students on Thursday, Aug. 3, from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Shephard University
- AB students can apply to Shepherd for free and get priority transcript reviews to assess how many college credits may be applied toward their degree process. Shepherd is also guaranteeing on-campus housing availability and that any outside financial aid awarded to students, such as federal loan and grant programs and private scholarships – will be honored.

HEPC Votes To Close Alderson Broaddus University

A Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) vote has put Alderson Broaddus University one step closer to closing its doors.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

A Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) vote has put Alderson Broaddus University one step closer to closing its doors.

During an emergency meeting Monday, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission voted unanimously to revoke the private university’s authorization to confer degrees in the state, effective Dec. 31, 2023.

The institution is not permitted to enroll new students beginning with the fall 2023 semester. However, seniors scheduled to graduate at the end of the fall term may return to complete their degrees on schedule.

The commission took this action after receiving and confirming information that Alderson Broaddus University’s financial condition renders the institution unable to create a stable, effective and safe learning environment for its students.

“While I truly wish there had been a viable path forward for Alderson Broaddus University to continue operating, our foremost priority is to help their students continue their education as seamlessly as possible,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education, in a press release. “We have been working with other colleges and universities in the state, and we are grateful to have institutions that are eager to help these students transfer and complete their degrees. The Commission takes its role in authorizing private institutions to operate within West Virginia very seriously. This is a role that the Legislature entrusted us with to safeguard students, and that is exactly what we are doing.”

The meeting was originally scheduled to take place last week but was postponed at the request of Gov. Jim Justice.

Red Cross Month Highlights Need For Volunteers, Donors

The West Virginia Legislature recognized March as American Red Cross Month and the local region used Red Cross Day at the Capitol Wednesday as a chance to showcase the organization’s mission of saving lives through blood donations and the efforts of generous volunteers.

Erica Mani serves as chief executive officer for the Central Appalachia Region of the American Red Cross. She said the Senate’s resolution not only recognizes the organization’s mission, but the mission’s founder and first president, Clara Barton, who, in 1881, turned her focus to helping people recover from accidents or disasters.

“We are bringing awareness to our mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies,” Mani said. “We do that through our volunteers and through our generous donors.”

Multiple educational booths and tables lined the hallway outside the upper rotunda, all drawing attention to the organization’s annual Capitol Blood drive. The goal: inspiring people to give of their time, money or blood.

“We’re receiving donations of blood today and it is a critical part of our mission to make sure that lifesaving blood is on the shelves of our hospitals,” she said. “So our local community members who come out and do this are true heroes.”

Mani said just one donor donating one pint of blood can save three lives.

Red Cross volunteers provide disaster relief assistance and health safety training and can take on leadership positions in disaster response, mental and emotional health services, or work as community educators.

“Our goal is to make sure our communities are resilient, whether that is with the blood on the shelves, whether that is with trained individuals, lifesaving CPR and First Aid skills, or whether that is following a disaster which we see all the time on the news, the big tornados, hurricanes, wildfires,” she said. “But one of the things that is most common that we don’t see as much of is that the Red Cross is responding to home fires every day in our communities across this region.”

The Red Cross responds to about 1,200 disaster events each year. In the first two months of 2023 the organization helped more than 500 people, most of whom were affected by home fires.

That includes a large apartment fire in Charleston in January that several dozen residents displaced or homeless. The Red Cross jumped into action and has since re-housed every single person affected by the fire.

In addition to disaster aid, the Red Cross serves active duty military and their families, training and blood collection services, international services, and free home installation of fire alarms.

Blood collection and donation top their crisis-related services and blood donors are always in demand.

Jason Harshbarger serves on the board of directors with the Red Cross in West Virginia and is a regular blood donor.

“You know we take blood and life for granted and when you are on the receiving end of it or when you have a loved one who needs blood it’s very vital to have that blood donation,” Harshbarger said. “One blood donation will save three lives and also it’s a product we can’t manufacture, we cannot manufacture in the laboratory to save lives so we definitely need volunteers to donate blood for those lifesaving aspects for the Red Cross and also for family needs when you’re in that situation.”

Harshbarger said, during the pandemic, donations fell off but the Red Cross is now ramping up its efforts to encourage volunteers to donate blood.

“I just look at it this way, you never know when you’re going to be on the other end of an emergency surgery, a car accident, or a health issue,” he said. “So if I can save one life by donating blood once every 10-12 weeks, it really means a lot to me.”

The American Red Cross Central Appalachia Region serves 77 counties in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and Kentucky.

W.Va. Voters Reject GOP Proposals On School, Tax Control

Voters in West Virginia rejected four proposed amendments to the state constitution Tuesday, including two that would have given the Republican-dominated legislature more power to regulate public education policy and certain taxes.

Updated on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022 at 9 a.m.

Other failed amendments would have prohibited the state Supreme Court intervention in the Legislature’s impeachment trials and allowed churches to incorporate.

West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee praised the outcome on the education and tax amendments, saying West Virginia voters “clearly saw through the power grab from the legislature” to “continue their assault on public education and education employees.”

“Local control is one of the cornerstones of our county government and local school system,” said Lee, head of the state’s largest public educators’ union. “Rejecting the proposed amendments will allow that local control to continue.”

Amendment 4 on Tuesday’s ballot would have required the state Board of Education to submit new rules and regulations to the legislature annually for final approval. Currently, it’s the only government agency that’s exempt.

The vote came amid a fight raging nationally over the politicization of schools. West Virginia’s Republican leaders have joined politicians elsewhere in pushing to regulate how subjects such as race are taught in classrooms and funnel public money into alternative education options, including charter schools and voucher programs.

Just this year, the state Board of Education joined a lawsuit against top Republicans over a school choice program — one of the nation’s most expansive — alleging it unconstitutionally drains money from public schools. The case went to the state Supreme Court, which sided with lawmakers.

GOP lawmakers who supported the amendment said people making decisions about things like curriculum, student discipline and teacher training should be accountable to voters. West Virginia’s governor-appointed and Senate-confirmed state school board members serve nine-year terms — the longest in any U.S. state — and can’t easily be removed.

But the change was opposed by teachers’ unions and other top education officials who said lawmakers want power over education to further their political agendas. Education officials also maintain that lawmakers have no business taking over public schools when they’ve consistently failed to help them.

Four years after more than 30,000 school workers went on strike in one of the nation’s poorest states, igniting teacher walkouts nationwide, many said they’re overworked and exhausted.

Additionally, Republican Gov. Jim Justice and GOP state legislative leaders clashed over Amendment 2, which would have given state lawmakers the ability to eliminate a business and inventory tax along with the personal property vehicle tax.

Justice, who wants to cut — and eventually eliminate — the state income tax instead, toured the state to urge voters to reject the proposal. He said the passage of the amendment could harm schools, cities and counties and give companies large tax breaks.

Top lawmakers asserted that the amendment would attract economic and business development to the state.

Speaking in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday after votes were counted, Justice said if Amendment 2 had passed, it “could have been really bad.”

“We would have been upside down … The police, the firemen, your schools, the seniors, the sports leagues, on and on and on and on,” he said.

He said his priority for the upcoming legislative session will be to find a pathway to cut the personal income tax as well as the car tax.

“Who won tonight was absolutely hands down the people — the people won,” he said. “And who lost? Who lost unequivocally? Selfishness lost.”

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Follow the AP’s election coverage of the 2022 elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections

Sales Tax Holiday Benefits Back To School Shoppers

From Friday, August 5 through Monday, August 8 families will be able to save money on purchases made during the state’s annual back-to-school Sales Tax Holiday.

This weekend, West Virginia families can save money on back to school purchases.

From Friday, August 5 through Monday, August 8 families will be able to save money on purchases made during the state’s annual back-to-school Sales Tax Holiday.

Clothing, school supplies, laptops and sports equipment will qualify for the tax break with a savings of at least six percent on qualified purchases and up to seven percent in municipalities with a local sales tax.

There is no limit on the amount of the total purchase. The qualification is determined on the amount of the total purchase and by each individual item.

Bridget Lambert, executive director of the West Virginia Retailers Association, said the benefits are huge for families faced with inflation on every front.

“It certainly makes a big difference to families, particularly with multiple children or during the tough economy coming out of the pandemic last year, particularly,” Lambert said. “Our stores saw a two and three fold increase in the shopping for school aged children during the weekend last year.”

While online purchases also qualify, items used in a trade or business are not considered eligible for the tax break.

Lambert added that the influx of school shoppers the tax break brings into their stores during a normally low summer season, is something retailers celebrate.

The Sales Tax Holiday will be all day Friday through Monday.

More information on the Sales Tax Holiday can be found on the West Virginia Department of Revenue’s website.

More Than 3,000 School Voucher Applications Approved

More than 3,000 applications for nonpublic school vouchers have been approved in West Virginia and more are being reviewed, officials said.

The state Treasurer’s Office had approved 3,010 applications as of Friday and had another 469 applications that were still under review, agency spokesman Jared Hunt told the Charleston Gazette-Mail in an email.

A law enacted last year creates a publicly funded savings accounts program called the Hope Scholarship. It allows state money to be put into a special account that parents could then spend on private school tuition, homeschooling and other educational needs. It would allow private and homeschooled students to participate, pushing the potential cost to the state to more than $100 million annually.

May 15 was the last day for parents to apply to receive the full voucher amount, which will be $4,300 for the 2022-23 school year, Hunt said.

The law is being challenged by three parents of children who attend public schools who contend that it violates the state Constitution and will siphon money away from public education. They filed a lawsuit this year and requested a preliminary injunction to stop the program’s implementation while the case is ongoing.