School Board Rejects Plan to Restore Driver Education

Nazareth School Board members rejected a last-ditch plan to save the , which had been eliminated as part of the budget process.

At the May 24 meeting, Superintendent Dr. Victor Lesky that had been eliminated. Eliminating the positions caused much dismay among many students and parents who cited driver ed's benefits.

The cost to restore driver education would have been about $62,500, Lesky said at Monday night's meeting. However, because the Nazareth Area Education Association did not agree to a salary freeze or other measures that would free up funds for programs such as driver education, board members were not willing to pay that price.

“The teachers association had received a letter for a contribution to continue driver education,” Lesky said. “We got a verbal 'no.'”

Board members lauded the benefits of teaching students to drive safely, but repeatedly noted that the money to fund the program is just not available.

“There is a value there,” said board member Darrell Crook. “But we need to figure out ways to draw a line.”

During the board's March 29 meeting, Randy Hall, one of the two driver education teachers, explained that more than 350 students were enrolled in the program during the 2010-2011 school year.

While making his case as to why driver education should not be eliminated, Hall added that nearly 80 percent of students age 16 or older took the course at the high school in 2011, making it one of the most popular that Nazareth offers.

Students who receive their licenses from the course also qualify for a 10 percent insurance reduction until age 21 through most agencies -- savings that could add up to $1,000 to $2,000, Hall said.

Despite the efforts by Hall and the district's administration, board members voted unanimously Monday to reject the proposal to restore limited driver education at the high school.

Although their positions have been eliminated, the two teachers won't be left out in the cold.

Jarrett Hoff had filled in this past semester for a teacher who was on medical leave. Hoff said at the March meeting that he plans to return to his special education position within the district.

As for Hall, he had planned to stay in the classroom as an Earth and Space Science student teacher, also within the district; however, those plans have now changed.

Capt. Randall "Randy" Hall, a member of the U.S. Army and part of the 728th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), will be deployed to the Middle East in August.