CANYON, TEXAS -- Summer enrollment is down at West Texas A&M University by four percent.
According to WT Vice President of Enrollment Management Dan Garcia, four percent represents about 112 fewer students than they had enrolled last year.
"We did see fewer freshman applications because we rearranged a freshman summer camp program," Garcia said. "We also saw few applications for our alternative teacher certification program pace, probably because we have some recent media reports of state budget cuts producing fewer jobs."
Director of Alternative Certification Susan Dennis says certification enrollment is down about 50 percent from last year, and adds that those reports have seemingly affected student numbers.
"The legislature and school districts saying they have hiring freezes, they don't know if they're going to be able to replace teachers that quit."
There has also been discussions about raising the average class size for elementary schools aren't helping either, creating a sense of uncertainty.
"It's a pretty big commitment to do alternative certification and if you don't think you might get a job it's kind of a risk at this moment."
According to Dennis that feeling was confirmed by students who withdrew from the program.
"We have had a few that applied and then withdrew and decided they were going to do it at a later time when they felt the market might be more acceptable."
Dennis says the weird thing is they have already had 25 students hired this year, which is a high number for June and usually more alternative certification students are hired at the end of the summer.
Dennis says no matter what, school will be in session in the fall and they will have to have teachers in class rooms, and they have to replace every teacher that may have retired or moved.
