More students will have access to driver's education classes in Palm Beach County as some high schools begin offering courses after school.
High schools that had dropped driver's education classes in the past are bringing them back, offering more options to students to receive free training before getting their driver's license.
"We're only reaching a fraction of the students we should be reaching," said Donna Bryan, spokeswoman for the Safety Council of Palm Beach County, which provides behind-the-wheel training for student drivers.
Over the years, the number of Palm Beach County high schools offering driver's education dropped from about 19 schools to eight, said Eric Stern, a curriculum administrator for the school district.
As driver's education teachers retired, programs at many high schools went away. Driver's ed teachers must be certified and receive special training.
To revive driver's education in the county, the school district recruited and trained teachers to teach the course and offer it after school.
Eight high schools will be offering the free after-school driver's education class, which provides both classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction. Those schools are John I. Leonard, Palm Beach Central, Glades Central, Santaluces, Boynton Beach, Spanish River, Forest Hill and Jupiter high schools.
That will bring the number of district schools that have driver's education to 16, including the eight that already offer driver's education during the regular school day.
The after-school courses will be offered 3 to 6 p.m., and students will receive a credit for the class.
The district has plenty of money to expand driver's education. For every traffic ticket paid in the county, $5 goes toward driver's education. The county receives about $850,000 a year for that.
"It's in everyone's interest to have teenage drivers trained," Bryan said. "They will be driving next to you and your loved ones on the road"
"We encourage every teen driver to take it," said Tara Kirschner, executive director of the Dori Slosberg Foundation, which works with the school district to raise awareness among teen drivers.
High schools that had dropped driver's education classes in the past are bringing them back, offering more options to students to receive free training before getting their driver's license.
"We're only reaching a fraction of the students we should be reaching," said Donna Bryan, spokeswoman for the Safety Council of Palm Beach County, which provides behind-the-wheel training for student drivers.
Over the years, the number of Palm Beach County high schools offering driver's education dropped from about 19 schools to eight, said Eric Stern, a curriculum administrator for the school district.
As driver's education teachers retired, programs at many high schools went away. Driver's ed teachers must be certified and receive special training.
To revive driver's education in the county, the school district recruited and trained teachers to teach the course and offer it after school.
Eight high schools will be offering the free after-school driver's education class, which provides both classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction. Those schools are John I. Leonard, Palm Beach Central, Glades Central, Santaluces, Boynton Beach, Spanish River, Forest Hill and Jupiter high schools.
That will bring the number of district schools that have driver's education to 16, including the eight that already offer driver's education during the regular school day.
The after-school courses will be offered 3 to 6 p.m., and students will receive a credit for the class.
The district has plenty of money to expand driver's education. For every traffic ticket paid in the county, $5 goes toward driver's education. The county receives about $850,000 a year for that.
"It's in everyone's interest to have teenage drivers trained," Bryan said. "They will be driving next to you and your loved ones on the road"
"We encourage every teen driver to take it," said Tara Kirschner, executive director of the Dori Slosberg Foundation, which works with the school district to raise awareness among teen drivers.
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