L-C School Board drops driver's education By Kevin Boneske News-Chronicle High school students looking to get a driver's license won't have a program offered by the Luxemburg-Casco School District to do so during the 2004-05 school year. Citing an inability to hire an instructor licensed by the state Department of Public Instruction, the Luxemburg-Casco School Board decided Monday night not to offer a driver's education program starting next summer. "I guess we have no choice," said board clerk Karen Frisque, who made the motion to discontinue the program. For the current school year, the classroom phase of the course was offered in the summer with the behind-the-wheel portion taking place throughout the year. However, the present instructor has decided not to teach it after this school year. District Administrator Patrick Saunders said none of the six people who applied to teach driver's education at L-C had a DPI license or was willing to pursue DPI certification to provide classroom or behind-the-wheel instruction next summer or during the 2004-05 school year. "We gave it the best shot," Saunders said. He suggested the district work with a private company which teaches driver's education about the possibility of offering it in the district. Since the company is for-profit, and isn't required to have instructors who are certified by the DPI, Saunders said the district could lease facilities to the company in order for it to offer the program. While driver's education won't be a school-sponsored program next year, Saunders left open the possibly it could return in subsequent years. Depending upon what qualifications the district's staff have in the future, or whether the DPI changes its requirements as to who can teach driver's education, he said the issue would be brought back for consideration at the board's meeting next October. Although staffing requirements could be a factor in whether driver's education returns as a school-sponsored program, another factor affecting its future could be cost. State aid specifically designated for driver's education is discontinuing. The board had been looking into raising the fee to offer the program, in order to cover the district's cost, in the event driver's education would have continued next year.