A teacher training center criticized as a boondoggle would have to close its doors under spending cuts proposed by a Republican-led House subcommittee Tuesday.

A professional development center with campuses in the mountains and on the Outer Banks, the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching commands $6.1 million in annual state funding. If the GOP-initiated cuts go through, that allotment would be diverted to help fill a state budget gap estimated between $1.9 billion and $2.5 billion.

The GOP proposal goes far beyond Perdue’s recommended reduction. In her proposed budget, the governor suggested a 10 percent cutback for NCCAT and the elimination of 8 positions.

The brainchild of former Gov. Jim Hunt, NCCAT offers dozens of five-day seminars throughout the year, most focusing on cultural, historical, and artistic topics, including global warming, holistic health, and pottery. Each year, the retreat serves 5,000 public school teachers lucky enough to attend.

The center has drawn criticism for its lavish accommodations in lean budget times. Even so, NCCAT president Elaine Franklin said in a prepared statement that cutting the center from the budget would do significant harm to public school teachers and students.

“Given the kinds of drastic changes that teachers will face in the coming years, the professional development NCCAT provides will become even more critically important,” Franklin said.

Mountain haven

As Carolina Journal reported in 2009, the Jackson County location includes all the bells and whistles of a mountain getaway:

Located adjacent to Western Carolina University’s main campus in Cullowhee, the center’s rambling stone buildings and finely manicured landscaping could be mistaken for that of an upscale mountain resort. And it offers a range of amenities to match.

The grounds feature an idyllic lake, nature trails, and garden complete with covered picnic tables, benches, and fountain. A detached lodge has 48 individual living quarters and includes private bathrooms, common areas with access to outdoor patios, kitchens stocked with snacks, wireless Internet, and even a Hershey’s Kiss on each teacher’s pillow in the morning.

Inside the main conference center, visitors have access to a computer lab, indoor amphitheatre, a library, a health and wellness facility, and an extensive art collection. Meals, prepared by a large culinary staff, are served in a multilevel dinning room that looks out on the gently rolling Appalachian Mountains.

In addition to the mountain destination, NCCAT recently opened a new campus in the former U.S. Coast Guard Station on Ocracoke Island. The legislature funded the Ocracoke renovation over several years at a cost of $8 million.

Enticing teachers

According to an NCCAT press release, teachers frustrated with their jobs have decided to stick it out after attending seminars at the retreat. In one case, a teacher had already picked up an application from Target, but decided against it after her week at NCCAT.

“We need good teachers in the classroom, not behind the checkout counter,” said Franklin, who took NCCAT’s helm in March after the previous executive director retired.

If their state appropriation is nixed, NCCAT would need to significantly expand its fundraising operation from other sources, including private donors. The group’s development foundation raised $674,812 during the 2008 tax year, according to the organization’s IRS Form 990.

NCCAT spokeswoman Elizabeth Gillespie said they are in the process of searching for a development director and trying to nail down appropriate grants.

David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.