Christo Driving School Opens New Classroom in Sudbury

"Every kid will be treated like my own."

That's the message Michael Christo wants Sudbury parents to know as he prepares to open his driving school's newest office next month in the Rugged Bear Plaza.

The Christo Driving School has been around since 1951, serving teen drivers and their parents from Westborough to Lexington and about 17 other towns in between.

And the reason the school has survived all these years is because the Christos view student drivers as family.

"Keeping these kids safe is our main goal," Christo says. "It takes a lot of patience. You never want to see anything bad happen. I'd be heartbroken."

He and his brother, Chris, took over the driving school from their parents a couple of years ago, although his father, Richard, "still signs the checks."

Before that, it belonged to his grandparents, George and Phyllis, who used to offer lessons "for a loaf of bread," he explains.

But as the company grew, the town of Sudbury really embraced the business. Students began driving to classrooms in Acton and Concord, despite having driver's education classes in .

"We decided to move to this location because 50 to 75 percent of Lincoln-Sudbury kids were traveling to those locations," says Christo, who estimates the number of Sudbury teens who have signed up at his driving school is in the thousands. "We needed to find something closer. This is a great location. We're really excited and will be here all summer."

Christo says he would have liked the opportunity to hold classes in Lincoln-Sudbury, but just having an office somewhere in town was most important.

"Parents have asked me when are we going to be in Sudbury," Christo says. "I would love to be in the school, and we could do both. It would be convenient for the kids. But now that I’m a resident, I plan on being far more involved in the town."

Christo, his wife, Jessica, and 1 1/2-year-old son Aidan, bought a house in town about eight months ago.

Christo says his instructors are set to a higher standard than what the state mandates. To be certified with a school, an instructor needs to have 65 hours of training with the driving school, he says. Christo requires his instructors to have 125 hours.

"We meet with our employees once a week because (driving laws) are always changing," he says.

The state also requires driving schools to not use cars more than five years old. But Christo says his schools buy news cars every year.

With about 220 schools in the state with about 500 locations, competition is stiff. But Christo says his family's reputation in the business is what sets them apart.

"Parents need to find a school that will best prepare their kids when they are behind the wheel," Christo says. "A year from now, I hope people realize our quality. Being a family business, every kid will be treated like my own, and in doing so, when parents take the classes, they'll realize how important this is to us."

Upcoming class schedule

The following classes will run Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.:

• June 25-29
• July 16-20
• July 30-August 3
• August 13-17

To reserve a spot, call 978-443-4645 or email christodriving@aol.com.http://www.christodriving.com/.