Cost hike curbs Natrona County School District driver's ed enrollment

Cost hike curbs Natrona County School District driver's ed enrollment Natrona County School District driver's education students opened their textbooks the first morning of summer classes Tuesday. During a lunch break Wednesday afternoon, the students talked about their first driving session. Laura Johnson's second time on the road was nerve-wracking, as she learned to move into turning lanes for the first time. State Farm Insurance agent Cheryl Feraud said the company supplies a 9 percent to 10 percent discount for driver's education. Spencer Crone at Wyoming Financial Insurance said some companies he works with also have stopped offering insurance breaks for driver's education credit. Nolan and instructor Brian Sanders attributed the enrollment decline to the rise in the summer session course fees, which increased from $375 to $500 this year. The teachers have the advantage of neutrality - along with an override brake on the passenger side of the student-driver vehicle. Students often learn enough in class that their families feel more comfortable riding with them. Tensions already existing between a parent and child, such as a recent argument, also can take a driving lesson around a wrong turn. O'Briant wasn't sure what to do, so she put on the brakes after Sanders pulled the wheel just slightly to steer the van out of the way. Last year's summer driver's education sessions cost the district $67,702, mainly in salaries and equipment. District officials considered spreading some of driver's education costs throughout the 2012-13 academic year to help offset the summer session costs, Mathern said. Mathern said district officials hope to decrease next summer's cost after re-evaluating the lab fees for all sessions all year round. Costs for the summer course increased twice in the past decade, with a slight decline in enrollment each time, according to Sanders. The decline in summer enrollment concerns Nolan, who said the course is an important first step in teaching students how to drive. "I think driver's ed is valuable," Crone said. Shannon O'Briant's first day of driver's education class and her second time ever behind the wheel proved exciting, but not in the way she'd hoped. "We were all scared," said McKena Silva, one of three other students in the class van. "I'm going to watch vehicles more because they don't really know what they're doing," O'Briant said. "I was freaking out," Johnson said. I'll be more confident. District officials didn't want to spring a cost increase on parents who already planned to pay $175. By the end of the course, students will gain the foundation to help them continue practicing safe driving. Most summers, about 125 students enroll in the driver's education courses, according to instructor Tim Nolan. "People can't afford it," Nolan said. During the school year, the rate is $175. The increase was caused by less funding available for summer school and the overall cost of supplying the course, according to Mark Mathern, NCSD associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Cost hike curbs Natrona County School District driver's ed enrollment Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 03/06/2012