Students Must Now Pay Fee to Take Driver Education Classes
August 17, 2011 – Starting this school year, students in the Wake County Public School System who enroll in driver education will have to pay a $45 fee to take the course.
In the past, WCPSS offered driver education at no cost to all Wake County students between the ages of 14.5 and 18. However, this year a state budget shortfall prompted the NC General Assembly to cut approximately $5.2 million from the appropriation for driver education classes across the state.
To make up the gap in state funding, lawmakers agreed to allow local school districts to charge up to $45 for students to take the class. The Wake County Board of Education approved the $45 fee during its meeting on July 12. The fee goes into effect for all classes starting Aug. 25 or later. Students who have already completed the classroom phase of driver education prior to Aug. 25 will not have to pay the $45 fee for the behind-the-wheel portion of the training.
The NC Department of Motor Vehicles requires students to complete 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind the wheel training before they are eligible to apply for their learner’s permit. WCPSS contracts with Jordan Driving School to provide this service to students in Wake County.
Students who would like to take the driver education course this school year should visit Jordan Driving School’s website at www.jordandriving.com to see a schedule of available classes. Students may obtain a registration from the website or from their high school. The $45 fee may be paid online, in person at the Jordan Driving School offices or by mail.
Parents may access the online payment system by visiting http://osp.osmsinc.com/wakenc/ and clicking “Driver’s Education.” Links to the online payment system can also be found on the WCPSS Driver Education website and the Jordan Driving School website. Once there, parents can pay the fee by personal credit card through a secure website. When payment is complete, the registration form should be submitted to the lead teacher for driver education at their child’s high school.
Parents may also choose to pay the $45 fee by cash, money order or cashier's check at the Jordan Driving School office located at 3751 Junction Blvd. in Raleigh from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by mailing a money order or cashier’s check along with the completed registration form to Jordan Driving School, 3751 Junction Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27603. No personal checks will be accepted.
WCPSS high schools are not able to collect this fee. As the contractor for all driver education services, Jordan Driving School is responsible for collecting all fees.
More detailed information on the registration and payment options can be found in this document, Process to Pay Fee, Register, and be Assigned to Driver Education Classes in 2011-12.
For additional information on WCPSS’s driver education program, please visit www.wcpss.net/drivers-ed or www.jordandriving.com.