High schools buck Illinois driver’s ed requirement
Last August, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed into law a “teen driving bill“, intended to reduce the number of high school kids killed each year behind the wheel. The measure includes extending the learning permit phase, driving curfews, limits on the number of people in the car, and something that is causing consternation amongst a group of high schools, six hours of district provided driver’s education. Nineteen high schools in Illinois are seeking a waiver from the requirement, stating that providing that extra level of instruction is cost prohibitive:
Abiding by the six-hour rule could cost each school district hundreds of thousands of dollars more, and state officials who had promised to fund those higher costs have yet to secure the money.
So the schools are asking for permission from the General Assembly to skirt the law. Apart from concerns over additional costs, school representatives contend that their driver’s education programs are effective just the way they are.
“I don’t think anyone has a problem with what’s behind the law,” said Scott Eggerding, director of curriculum and instruction at Lyons Township High School, one of the schools seeking a waiver. “It’s just a question of how do we do it so that we can offer the best experience for our students.”
Information from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local...
