The three school systems in Catawba County will provide driver’s education for their students at no additional cost this fall, despite cuts from the NC legislature.
Catawba County Schools will no longer employ its own teachers and use its own cars for its driver’s education program, instead choosing to contract with the NC Driving School, said Steve Demiter, assistant superintendent of operations for the school system. That is the same private driving school Hickory Public Schools has contracted with for several years.
The preliminary proposal the driving school quoted Catawba County Schools was $198 per student for the classroom and driving lessons. That will include the new curriculum mandated by the state requiring motorcycle awareness and other safety instruction.
The state cut the funding for every school district, but said districts would be allowed to charge up to $45 per student to keep the programs running.
According to the NC Department of Public Instruction website, the driver’s education allotment was reduced from $236.31 per ninth grade student to $198.66 per student, a difference of $37.65.
“We’re not charging a fee at this point. The allotment from the state will be sufficient,” Demiter said. “NC Driving School will be using its own cars, textbooks and instructors.”
Catawba County Schools will sell the 20 cars it owns that were used for driver’s education on govdeals.com, although Demiter said he wasn’t sure when that would be, since the system is still transitioning to the new program. The money received from selling the cars would go back into the driver’s ed program.
Catawba County Schools has 1,546 students who are eligible for the 2011-12 year. This is about the same as the 2010-11 year, although only 1,168 students enrolled and completed the program.
Demiter said once Catawba County Schools has completely transitioned to NC Driving School as its contractor for driver’s education, information on whom to contact for the classes and driving lessons will be provided in schools and on the school system website.
Like Catawba County Schools, Newton-Conover City Schools has also determined it won’t have to charge its students this year to enroll in driver’s ed. Superintendent Barry Redmond said he’s keeping things as they are.
“We got $52,000 from the state last year and will get about $50,000 from the state this year,” he said.
The system got a new driver’s education car three years ago. Redmond said it should last the program through this year, at least.
“We try to buy a new car every four or five years,” he said.
The current driver’s education teacher employed by Newton-Conover City Schools will also remain in place. The teacher does classroom and road instruction, Redmond said. The system also has a software program students can use for the classroom portion if they prefer.
“We’ll be able to cover the cost this year and not charge the kids,” Redmond said. “We’ll pay any difference we need to in local money.”
During the 2010-11 school year, Newton-Conover City Schools had about 150 to 175 students enrolled in the program. Redmond said he expects about the same number this year.
Hickory Public Schools contracts its program with the NC Driving School and will continue to do so this school year, according to Tim Sims, director of student services. The school system will not have to charge students a fee this year, either. Hickory Career and Arts Magnet High students will have to sign up for classes at Hickory High, he said.
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