Driver's ed funding tops Wake school board agenda

This summer, state lawmakers passed legislation to eliminate the $26 million school districts now receive to fund the program. That means starting next July, when the new fiscal year begins, districts will have to find other means to cover program costs.

“We have to locally find a way to fund the program and with our current structure that would create some real challenges,” said Todd Wirt, Wake County’s assistant superintendent for academics.

Wake County Public School officials said they’re asking lawmakers to restore state funding for driver’s education. The request was one of many in a legislative agenda they approved on Tuesday.

Local school districts are mandated by the state to offer driver's education to public, private, charter and homeschool students.

Devin Tanner, who oversees the driver’s ed program for Wake County Public schools, said the district will have to set aside about $2.5 million for the 2015-2016 school year to run the program without state funds.

Under the legislation, school districts will be allowed to charge students $65 dollars to help offset costs. Currently, Wake school officials can charge only $55 in addition to the $191 the state provides per student.

Susan Evans, a Wake County school board member, expressed concerns about the possibility of increasing costs for students.

“If we’re going to have young drivers who have not gone through driver training program because the expense was a deterrent, then will have more untrained, inexperienced drivers on our roads,” she said at Tuesday’s board meeting.

Tanner said statistics show that people who did not go through a graduated driver’s education program are more likely to be involved in fatal car accidents.

Allison Perrin, a senior at Leesville Road High School, said she’s worried what the state’s elimination of funding for driver’s education will mean for student safety.

“At my school, there have been a couple of car accidents, just minor fender benders, and if we make it more difficult to go through said program, it may result in more dangerous hazards on the road,” said Perrin.

Lawmakers are expected to discuss budgeting issues, like this one, when they reconvene next year.