The quality of an online outlet West Middlesex teachers are using to work toward master’s degrees is being called into question, board President Thomas Hubert said.

At least ten teachers used allowances provided through the district’s tuition reimbursement plan to take online courses from Idaho-based Canyon College, Hubert said.

The institution is a Web-based operation that top officials in education around the country have dubbed a “diploma mill,” news reports say.

A teacher with a master’s degree in West Middlesex makes about $2,400 more a year than those without, an outline of their contract says.

Six teachers — Brenda Brooks, Brad Mild, Chad Mild, Nicole Nych, Edward Pikna and Mike Williams — were each reimbursed $2,400 in June for courses completed through Canyon, a record of board expenses shows.

The online college isn’t listed among over 250 outlets legally authorized to grant degrees in Pennsylvania, according to a roster compiled by the state Department of Education.

Hubert said another four teachers in the past few months were also reimbursed the same amount for classes through Canyon and all teachers had been approved prior to starting the courses by Superintendent Alan Baldarelli.

Hubert said he wasn’t aware that any teachers had completed master’s degrees through Canyon or been awarded pay increases.

The board didn’t question its Canyon because they believed Baldarelli, who was unavailable for comment Thursday, already had checked out Canyon, Hubert said.

The state Department of Education regulates teacher certification but allows individual school districts to distinguish the legitimacy of a master’s degree, said Michael Race, the agency’s deputy press secretary.

Teachers in Pennsylvania are required to complete 180 hours of professional development every five years related to their specialty to stay certified, Race said.

“There are various ways to meet it,” he said, noting teachers have other options than taking classes toward a master’s degree.

A teacher who pursued a master’s degree at a local college alerted school directors earlier this month her colleagues were taking online courses toward the same degree in a program that was much shorter, Hubert said.

Race said he’s unaware of any problems created by Canyon College in the state or of teachers in other districts using the Web site to get degrees.

The state “wouldn’t have any role in accrediting Canyon College,” Race said. The institution is headquartered in Caldwell, Idaho, its Web site says.