APPLICATION FOR DRIVERS EDUCATION WAIVER
______Community Unit School District #____
101 E. Market Street
______, IL Zip Code
Please consider the following as written notice from ______CUSD #___ to request a Driver’s Education waiver.
For proposed waivers and modifications or modifications of School Code mandates that are based upon meeting the intent of the rule and mandate in a more effective manner, efficient or economical manner, a narrative description must provide all the required information.
______CUSD #___ is seeking a modification of the Illinois School Code ILCS 5/27-23 whereby the fee for Driver Education is changed from “not to exceed $50” to “not to exceed $500.” This request is based on fulfilling the intent of the driver education mandate in a more efficient manner.
The intent of the School Code is to provide a quality program of instruction on the operation of motor vehicles. The Code requires that “the course of instruction given in grades 10-12 shall include an emphasis on the development of knowledge, attitudes, habits and skills necessary for the safe operation of motor vehicles….: District #___’s course in Driver Education is a two part course that fully complies with the intent of the School Code. Students receive a minimum of 30 clock hours of classroom instruction taught by a certified high school instructor and a minimum of 6 clock hours of individual behind-the-wheel (BTW) instruction or it’s equivalent in an automobile.
District #___ fully intends to continue the quality program that is described above, but in a more fiscally responsible manner by increasing the driver education fee to an amount not to exceed $500. According to the School Code, any student who is eligible for fees waived, would have the driver education fee waived as well.
The basic cost for the classroom and the behind-the-wheel program is $ 189.97. Therefore the cost to District #___ per student is still $$139.87 more than the current fee once the State of Illinois reimbursement is taken into account.
The high cost of Driver Education is due to the behind-the-wheel phase of the course. The program has a 3:1 student/teacher ratio. Because the Driver Education teachers are certified and are members of the District’s bargaining unit, the salaries and benefits are set by the current contract. At the same time, the student driving experience requires no more than three students in the automobile at any one time if the students are to receive the mandated minutes of driving instruction. In contrast, these low student/teacher ratios for Driver Education, the district student/teacher ratio for other courses in the high school curriculum is 21:1. It is this higher ratio and the time required for driving instruction that greatly increases the cost of the Driver Education course.
Current enrollment at the high school is 330 students and the district employs one Driver Education teacher. This teacher has to drive with students after school and sometimes summer to keep pace with the student enrollment. With current enrollment projections in the next 2-4 years, the district will be challenged with hiring additional teachers, adding vehicles and supplies to implement the program. In order to address the current needs and the projected enrollment in the near future, the district requests permission to set the fee for Driver Education at a cost not to exceed $500 per student for the period of the waiver. Without the waiver, the district will need to divert other programming funds to the Driver Education Program and negatively impact those programs or consider only offering the classroom required course and students will need to find private driving schools to complete the behind-the-wheel.
All proposed waivers/modifications requested to stimulate innovation or improve student performance, including all proposed waivers of School Code mandates, shall provide the specific plan for improved student performance and school improvement upon which the request is being based and how the applicant will determine success.
Improve school and student performance would result from the district’s ability to provide the Driver Education course at a still discounted price in comparison to private driving schools. It further would result in the district’s ability to better maintain vehicles and the ability to pay for increasing gas and insurance costs. Finally, with growing enrollment, the waiver would allow the district to hire and retain quality instructors during the school year and not rely on added hours beyond the contract for after school and summer driving. The waiver would allow the district to use the otherwise deferred funds for school improvement goals. The measurement of success of the program will be the data collected regarding the number of students who take and pass the Driver Education course each school year.
Applications requesting waivers from Section 17-1.5 of the School Code must include the amount, nature and reason for the requested relief and all remedies that have been exhausted by the district to comply with the expenditure.
Driver Education Costs
Costs without Waiver and Fee of $50 for 103 students
Fees Collected$ 5,150
State Reimbursement$13,373
REVENUES $18,523
Cost of Program:
Salary & Benefits$35,354Vehicle $18,000 every 4 years
Supplies (including gas) $ 1,506
Maintenance$ 421
Insurance$ 809
TOTAL EXPENDITURES$38,090
Costs to district after revenues = $19,567 / 103 students = $189.97 cost per child