What is currently a rite of passage for many teens may be going to the wayside as districts are forced to make decisions on what programs to keep and what can be discontinued. The state has designated a portion of the money from speeding tickets for driver's education.
However, much of that money was diverted for other uses last year. As a result the money that school districts are reimbursed for each student has dropped from $100 down to $38 leading over a dozen schools to discontinue the program.
Kansas high schools trained nearly 18,900 student drivers last year. In a typical Driver's Ed program, students learn everything from how a car works, how to turn, to responding in emergency situations. The education gives the students the chance to learn these skills in a variety of locations; both rural and urban streets and in all weather situations. Instructors stress that they are often able to instruct the teens in a calmer or more patient environment than they would get from their parents or friends.
"It would make no sense to take money from schools and students trying to learn to drive safely," said Joan Peterson, who has oversight of driver's education courses in Kansas, both public and commercial, through the Kansas Department of Education.
As the state continues to face budget challenges, it is important that programs that promote student safety and are proven to save lives not get neglected.
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