Schools

Area Legislator Pushes Driver's Ed Fee Increase

State Rep. Sandy Pihos wants fees to go from $50 to $250 to cover more of a school district's cost of driver's education classes.

The cost of driver's education class fees could increase under a proposed bill in Springfield.

State Rep. Sandy Pihos, R-Glen Ellyn, is sponsoring a bill, making its way through the House, to raise the standard maximum fee from $50 to $250 per student taking in-house driver’s education classes beginning with the 2012-13 school year.

Waivers would be available to districts who decide to charge more than $250. Community Unit School District 200 currently charges $250.

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Bill Farley, assistant superintendent for finance, said the district has a waiver from Springfield which allows the district to charge Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South students $250 for driver’s education. Farley said there are no plans to raise the fee, meaning no waiver would be needed should the legislation pass.   

According to Pihos, 33 percent of the state’s school districts already apply for and receive waivers from the state that allow them to charge more than the $50. Those waivers, Pihos said, range from $75 per student to $500 per student depending on the district.

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"It’s a lot of paperwork when districts come back to us," Pihos said.

Farley said 440 high school students are taking the semester-long class that combines classroom time with simulator and behind-the-wheel experience. That’s about 40 percent of eligible students, he added.

Due to factors that include the 2008 mandate to double behind-the-wheel time from three hours to six hours and low student-teacher ratios, Pihos said the average cost to teach a driver's education student is approximately $800.

According to Farley, District 200 driver’s education program cost $400,000 in 2009-10. He said if that cost is the same this year, it means that the district is spending more than $900 on each of the 440 students.  

Illinois public high schools are mandated to offer driver's education. Despite its cost, Pihos said, driver’s education is worthwhile curriculum for school districts even when privately run options exist.

“We have seen that with the new mandate, the number of deaths on the road dropped significantly,” Pihos said. “We know that they are getting quality teaching and quality behind-the-wheel instruction.”

District 200 Assistant Superintendent for Operations Bob Rammer agreed.

“Evidence is pretty clear that (having in-house driver’s education) offers benefits for students in terms of safety and with respect to on-the-road training and driving experience,” Rammer said. “Eliminating that puts a burden on folks who depend on student drivers.”

Rammer, who oversees the district waiver process, said having one waiver less will save staff time, but it won’t have a profound financial benefit. To attain a waiver, Rammer said, the district must submit evidence, notify all state legislators, hold a public hearing, and get approval from both houses of the state legislature.

“It’s a pretty lengthy process,” Rammer said.

District 200 driver’s education fee waiver is a five-year waiver, Rammer said, which was applied for last September. The district also has a one-year waiver to knock off three on-the-road hours and replace them with simulator hours, which now total 12 in the district.

“We’ve used simulators for a long time and, as a matter of fact, students get more experience than the six hours (of on-the-road training),” Rammer said.

Pihos said private classes often are more expensive than in-house options and students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch do not need to pay any fee for in-house driver’s education. According to the representative, that accounts for 45 percent of high school students statewide.

Pihos' bill calls for all school boards to put the maximum standard fee raise on their agenda to help bring the public's attention to the change.

If passed, Pihos’ bill wouldn't go into effect until the 2012-13 school year because waivers for the 2011-12 school year are already being worked out and some school districts may reconsider waivers if and when the potential bump in the standard maximum is applied.

Currently working its way through the state Senate is a similar bill sponsored by Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville. To get it to the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn, the House and Senate need to pass a single bill.

Pihos' bill is being scheduled for a third reading. She said a vote on it could be called at anytime; when the vote happens is up to House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago). 

There's also movement on a conflicting House bill sponsored by Rep. Robert Pritchard, R-Hinckley, which would not set a maximum fee at $250, but would mandate a "reasonable" fee that might vary from district to district, Pihos said.


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