As state lawmakers cut funding to driver's education programs, school district are weighing their options on how to offer training.
Driver's Ed is required for North Carolina teenagers under eighteen to get a license. Theo Helm with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools says the district simply can't afford to take on that responsibility.
“If that were to be taken away, that's almost a million dollars that we would have to find somewhere else to keep the fees close to where they are now,” says Helm. “To be honest, driver's education is an important skill for everybody to have, but I think there's some debate as to whether schools should be responsible.”
One option is to pass the cost onto families, which can range anywhere from more than $200 to $400. Mark Smith is with The North Carolina Driving School, a company that contracts with school systems across the state. He's worried about how low-income families, particularly in rural areas, will be impacted.
“A lot of parents depend on their teenagers to run errands and pick up siblings. We have some single family homes that depend on the teenager to go to work and bring in some income for the family and not having a license will impact that,” says Smith.
Smith says he's also worried that more teens will bypass the course and wait until they are 18 to get their permit, meaning more drivers with less experience could end up on the roadway.
In 2010, the state began cutting back on driver's education and in place of some of the funds, it allowed school systems to charge a fee to take the course. It's currently no more than $65 dollars.
Last year, the legislature decided not to make a $26 million line item for the program a re-occurring expense---and Gov. McCrory didn't extend funding in his new budget. His administration told the NC Policy Watch last week that they want to direct more funds toward the classroom.
Follow Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news
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