Friday, 2 October 2015

Driver ed resumes in county schools

Jackson County Schools has resumed driver education classes given the certainty there will be state money to help pay for the program.
Mark Hooper, transportation director for Jackson County Schools, said late last week that Smoky Mountain High School, after a summer hiatus, is registering new students for an upcoming round of classes. Typically, about 300 students enroll each year. Taking and passing driver ed is a prerequisite for anyone under the age of 18 seeking conditional driving privileges under the state’s graduated licensing system. Driver ed emerged as a sticking point during the months-long battle to pass a state budget, with guaranteed state funding drying up June 30 when the 2014-15 fiscal year ended. Critics argued the program is ineffective. Driver ed survived the protracted dispute, however, and when the $21.74 billion budget passed last month, lawmakers had included the roughly $27 million required.

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