Drivers Education

August 20, 2020 Driver Education Update

Behind-the-Wheel:

BTW restarted on July 13 with a reduced workforce; we will proceed as scheduled prior to the closure, based on age within the class, oldest to youngest.

· March classroom students are currently being scheduled; then we will proceed through the original rosters (April, May) that were completed remotely during May, June, and July.

· Sometimes a younger student is scheduled prior to an older one due to answering the phone or general availability for a time-sensitive schedule. If you have a phone setting that does not allow your phone to ring with an unrecognized number, you might want to turn it off.

· Each driving instructor has been trained on safety protocols and has specific directions to follow that are not negotiable.

Classroom Sessions:

· We are planning to open classroom registration on September 14 at www.jordandriving.com. Registration forms and directions for electronic submission need to be followed as stated.

· We plan to offer one session per month, 10 days of 3 hours each, delivered remotely in the afternoon beginning in October. Students must register for a class at the school they attend and will not be allowed to register at another school location. Please adhere to this expectation.

· Early registration and/or incomplete forms will not be accepted.

· Students are placed in a class based on age, with the oldest students given priority. The fee is $65.00, payable online, and covers the classroom and the BTW lessons.

· Payment must be received prior to the start of the class session and will not be accepted late.

· The certificate of completion is provided at the conclusion of BTW.

DMV Eligibility Certificates:

Due to building closure, Driver Eligibility Certificate will be issued by the following method:

· Parents/Student must make an appointment with DMV prior to requesting the Driver Eligibility Certificate from the School.

· Parents/Student must contact the school to get Driver Eligibility Certificate once appointment with DMV is made.

Applicable DMV Information:

· If your child has a valid Driving Eligibility Certificate (DEC) issued by their school that was dated between Feb. 9, 2020, and March 10, 2020, that certificate will be accepted by the Division of Motor Vehicles for up to 30 days after all DMV offices have been reopened.

· The DEC can be issued to you via the Student Services Offices by appointment only.

· Required DMV Vision Checks have been offered in June, July and August at 6 area sites, two days each month.

Contact Information:

Please contact the driver education coordinator at Holly Springs High School, Frederick Dunston at hshsdrivered@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns that this website cannot answer. See below for payment information.

Basic information:

Wake County public, private and home school students must be at least 14 years, 6 months old to take a Driver Education class. Students are required to complete 30 hours in the driver education classroom and 6 hours behind the wheel and 6 hours of observation instruction. Driver education classes are scheduled after school throughout the school year, and during the summer. Behind the wheel driving is conducted after school between 2:30 pm and 9:00 pm, and from 6:30 am until 9:00 pm on Saturdays and (Sundays as approved), during the summer and any other time students are out of school. Students are contacted to do their BTW (behind the wheel) driving training by age, oldest called first, after completing the classroom phase of driver education. Upon completion of Driver Education, students will receive a Driver Education Certificate. Wake County Public School System will provide the Driver Education Program at a cost of $65.

Registration/Classroom Information:

To be eligible for class, you must be 14 years and 6 months old on or before the day the class starts! Download a Driver Education Registration Form from http://jordandriving.com. Registration forms must be completed in black ink only and return the registration form to the Lead Teacher, Frederick Dunston at hshsdrivered@gmail.com. After the registration form is submitted, the Lead Teacher will assign a class and email students of the class and all other information needed for class.

Beginning in fall of 2011 a registration fee is required to take driver education in the Wake County School System which is currently $65.

Online payment is the preferred method of payment and the easiest payment process.

Go online at http://jordandriving.com and pay by credit card or gift card.

Other options are:

· Pay in person at Jordan Driving School office with certified check, money order or cash at 101 Timber Pointe Lane, Garner, NC 27529. Phone: 919-772-4877. Please allow 15-20 minutes to complete the payment process.

· Mail in your certified check or money order to101 Timber Pointe Lane, Garner, NC 27529. Please include a completed registration form with your payment. No personal checks please!

· When making a payment at the office, please allow 2 to 4 weeks for processing. Your registration forms will be forwarded to the appropriate person.

Driver Education Classroom Sessions:

Classes are scheduled monthly in the media center from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM for 10 days. Students MUST attend every class session, in order to pass the class.

Classroom Regulations:

1. You must attend and successfully complete the entire 30 hours of classroom instructions. Only one excused absence (for medical or family emergencies with written documentation) is allowed. If you miss more than one class instruction unexcused, you will be dropped from the class and will not be refunded fees.

2. You are expected to follow the WCP guidelines. Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in removal from the class. Any student removed for disciplinary reasons may not take Driver Education through the school system again.

3. You should bring on the first day of class, pen (black), pencils, paper, and a copy of your birth certificate (which will be returned).

4. All cell phones and any other devices by students MUST BE OFF in the class and in the car during driver education training.

5. You must provide your own transportation to and from class and behind the wheel driving instructions.

Classroom Confirmation:

Registration forms and payment are required to participate in the Driver Education program. Students will be contacted via email or phone number provided on the registration form for payment request and class assignment. Once payment is confirmed the Lead teacher will receive notification from online system and you will be ready for class. You will not be confirmed for Driver Education until payment arrangements are confirmed.

Driver Education Classroom Schedule:

Driver education classes are scheduled on a monthly base as needed. Please reference the driver education class schedule at http://jordandriving.com for classes during the school year and summer class sessions.

Eye Examination:

DMV representative is scheduled to visit Holly Springs High School during one of each classroom sessions to check student’s vision medications. If a student receives a medical or vision form from DMV representative to take to your doctor, the student must visit his/her doctor and return paperwork to Driver Education department. Student may be required to revisit DMV representative at school. Students cannot drive until all vision and medical paperwork is completed and signed by the DMV representative.

Behind the Wheel Training:

Once all classroom requirements are completed, students will be assigned a driving instructor to schedule your behind the wheel driving training. The behind the wheel instructor is responsible for calling and scheduling students to drive. When called, please remember to write down your driving instructor’s name and number, driving schedule, place to meet and to be picked up. You must provide your own transportation to and from driving sessions. All cell phones and any other devices by students MUST BE OFF in the car during driver training. Please be patient as we attempt to drive students as quickly as possible.

Driver Eligibility Certificate:

Students are required by the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicle and dropout prevention services to pass at least 3 of 4 classes per semester at HSHS to obtain a Driver Eligibility Certificate. This form is needed to obtain or maintain a learner’s permit or a driver license. You may take driver education without meeting the 3 of 4 passing requirement; however, you will not satisfy the driver eligibility rules until you pass 3 of 4 classes (meaning you will not get you permit). Driver’s Eligibility Certificates are validated by the Registrar at HSHS. Once validated, the Driver’s Eligibility Certificate is only good for 30 days. You must bring your certificate from the driving school, your birth certificate, and your last semester report card in order to get your Driver's Eligibility Certificate.

Other Questions and Concerns:

Please visit the Jordan Driving School website http://jordandriving.com for additional information or the NCDMV website http://ncdot.org/DMV for driver license information.

The goal of the Wake County Public School System and its driver education contractor, Jordan Driving School (JDS), is to provide a quality driver education program to all students in a safe and timely manner. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requires 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel training. The average time to complete the Driver Education class, from registration through the classroom and driving phases, is four months. Students wanting their permits by age 15 must register on or before the age of 14 years, eight months. Students with extracurricular activities or jobs may take longer due to conflicts with scheduling driver education.

There are no academic requirements in order to take the driver education class. There are academic requirements in order to apply for a permit or license after finishing the driver education class.

Students should complete and submit a registration form. Once students are assigned to a class, they will be notified to pay the $65.00 fee in order to finalize their registration. Students that are dismissed from driver education class due to behavior or attendance problems will not be allowed to take driver education a second time through the Wake County Public School System.

Parents are highly encouraged to attend a parent-teen meeting, held on the last day of the classroom session for driver education students. This meeting will inform parents and students of behind-the-wheel procedures and provide best practices for parents teaching teens to drive.  Attending parents will receive a Parent-Teen Driver Training Manual and DVD designed to give parents proper driving techniques and lessons, to help themselves and their teen, during Phase 1 of graduated licensing.

Registration information

You must be 14½ years of age for the required 30-hour classroom portion. Driver Education is offered through a private contractor, Jordan Driving School, after school hours, Saturdays, holiday breaks and during summer months. Driver Education is offered to each eligible student residing within Wake County, who pays a $65 fee to register for a class. A lead teacher at each of the WCPSS high schools is assigned to administer the Driver Education program.

Additional information

For additional information, a message may be left for the lead teacher, who will return the call as soon as possible. You may also call Jordan Driving School, or visit their web site at www.jordandriving.com. On the website you will find general information, email addresses for the lead teachers, specific classroom dates and a list of additional classes that might be available. For Behind the Wheel questions or information specific to your school, contact your lead teacher.