WCS May Have To Scrap Driver's Ed
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
During the Warsaw School Board meeting Monday night, Warsaw Community Schools Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott recommended the driver's education fee of $425 be approved for 2010 as well as a minimum number of students that must sign up in order to provide the program.
The current rate for driver's education is $375.
The recommended minimum of the spring program is 36 students, with 48 being the desired number. The recommended minimum for the June program is 75 students, with a desired target of 96 students. If the student sign up falls below the minimums, the program would be suspended for 2010 and re-evaluated.
School board member Kent Adams said the program currently is running in the red. Delores Hearn, board member, asked where the Warsaw Driver's Education program stands in numbers with the competition.
Scott said there is only one local private provider, and that company charges Warsaw residents $395. Other communities are charged other amounts.
He said the Warsaw program has seen its numbers dwindling, and it's suppose to be a break-even endeavor.
Board President and finance committee member Deb Wiggins said the finance committee's primary concern was that driver's education break even. If not, they need to come up with a better program or eliminate the program.
Laws have changed concerning driver's education, driver's licenses and insurance, and that also has impacted Warsaw's Driver's Education program, Wiggins said.
The finance committee feels one of two things has to happen, Wiggins said. The group has to come back with a plan to show how it will break even, or the board will be placed in a position that WCS has to back off the driver's education program and let students know driver's education is offered elsewhere.
Dan Robinson, school board vice president, said looking at the report the board was given, there were 42 students in driver's education in the spring and 54 in the summer session.
"We have a lot more kids turning 16 every year. What are they doing? Are they going somewhere else?" Robinson asked.
Wiggins asked Robinson if he wanted an answer to that before a vote was taken on a motion made to set the driver's education fee at $425.
"It may affect how I vote, so yes," Robinson replied.
Nick Walenga, driver's education coordinator, said last year the program changed. The board wanted driver's education to advertise and have a minimum number of students.
Last year, people in the community also began to be laid off from their jobs. Families made the choice not to enroll their students into driver's education to save money. The private driver's education company doesn't have to meet the same criteria and state laws that the program through Warsaw Schools does. With the new changes and cut-off dates, Walenga said they just didn't get the classes filled last year.
Will the $425 fee be profitable? Walenga said he couldn't say for sure. They've had damage to driver's education cars, and gasoline and insurance costs have risen. No one can predict fuel costs.
"So what are kids doing?" Robinson asked. He wanted to know if insurance companies still offered discounts for students who took driver's education.
Scott said the discount was about $100 per year. Students can obtain their driver's license without going through the driver's education program. He again suggested the board approve the $425 fee, and if the program doesn't make enough money, put the program on hiatus and go from there.
Walenga said instructors are not allowed to drive one-on-one with students. All instructors are WCS licensed teachers and licensed driver's education instructors. He said the cost is the issue. He also wanted to do the $425 fee now and see how the spring classes go. After the first spring class, they could come back to the school board and let them know how they think the summer program will be.
Hearn asked Walenga if he could cut salaries for instructors 2 percent across the board. Walenga said he'd have to ask the instructors. He couldn't say yes without talking to them first.
The board voted on a motion to approve the cost at $425 per student, but it was unanimously defeated.
Wiggins then made a motion for Walenga and Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz or his designee to meet and then bring back a proposal to the school board at its December meeting. The board approved her motion by a vote of 5 to 1, with Robinson opposed. Board member Ron Yeiter was not present.
Wiggins said the finance committee is very concerned about the driver's education program's finances.
Robinson said that for parents to pay for driver's education, they have to have a reason to do so, such as an insurance break. He asked Walenga if a student who took driver's education was a safer drive and had less collisions. Walenga said yes, but did not get to finish his statement. Wiggins said he could provide that information at the December meeting.[[In-content Ad]]
During the Warsaw School Board meeting Monday night, Warsaw Community Schools Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott recommended the driver's education fee of $425 be approved for 2010 as well as a minimum number of students that must sign up in order to provide the program.
The current rate for driver's education is $375.
The recommended minimum of the spring program is 36 students, with 48 being the desired number. The recommended minimum for the June program is 75 students, with a desired target of 96 students. If the student sign up falls below the minimums, the program would be suspended for 2010 and re-evaluated.
School board member Kent Adams said the program currently is running in the red. Delores Hearn, board member, asked where the Warsaw Driver's Education program stands in numbers with the competition.
Scott said there is only one local private provider, and that company charges Warsaw residents $395. Other communities are charged other amounts.
He said the Warsaw program has seen its numbers dwindling, and it's suppose to be a break-even endeavor.
Board President and finance committee member Deb Wiggins said the finance committee's primary concern was that driver's education break even. If not, they need to come up with a better program or eliminate the program.
Laws have changed concerning driver's education, driver's licenses and insurance, and that also has impacted Warsaw's Driver's Education program, Wiggins said.
The finance committee feels one of two things has to happen, Wiggins said. The group has to come back with a plan to show how it will break even, or the board will be placed in a position that WCS has to back off the driver's education program and let students know driver's education is offered elsewhere.
Dan Robinson, school board vice president, said looking at the report the board was given, there were 42 students in driver's education in the spring and 54 in the summer session.
"We have a lot more kids turning 16 every year. What are they doing? Are they going somewhere else?" Robinson asked.
Wiggins asked Robinson if he wanted an answer to that before a vote was taken on a motion made to set the driver's education fee at $425.
"It may affect how I vote, so yes," Robinson replied.
Nick Walenga, driver's education coordinator, said last year the program changed. The board wanted driver's education to advertise and have a minimum number of students.
Last year, people in the community also began to be laid off from their jobs. Families made the choice not to enroll their students into driver's education to save money. The private driver's education company doesn't have to meet the same criteria and state laws that the program through Warsaw Schools does. With the new changes and cut-off dates, Walenga said they just didn't get the classes filled last year.
Will the $425 fee be profitable? Walenga said he couldn't say for sure. They've had damage to driver's education cars, and gasoline and insurance costs have risen. No one can predict fuel costs.
"So what are kids doing?" Robinson asked. He wanted to know if insurance companies still offered discounts for students who took driver's education.
Scott said the discount was about $100 per year. Students can obtain their driver's license without going through the driver's education program. He again suggested the board approve the $425 fee, and if the program doesn't make enough money, put the program on hiatus and go from there.
Walenga said instructors are not allowed to drive one-on-one with students. All instructors are WCS licensed teachers and licensed driver's education instructors. He said the cost is the issue. He also wanted to do the $425 fee now and see how the spring classes go. After the first spring class, they could come back to the school board and let them know how they think the summer program will be.
Hearn asked Walenga if he could cut salaries for instructors 2 percent across the board. Walenga said he'd have to ask the instructors. He couldn't say yes without talking to them first.
The board voted on a motion to approve the cost at $425 per student, but it was unanimously defeated.
Wiggins then made a motion for Walenga and Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz or his designee to meet and then bring back a proposal to the school board at its December meeting. The board approved her motion by a vote of 5 to 1, with Robinson opposed. Board member Ron Yeiter was not present.
Wiggins said the finance committee is very concerned about the driver's education program's finances.
Robinson said that for parents to pay for driver's education, they have to have a reason to do so, such as an insurance break. He asked Walenga if a student who took driver's education was a safer drive and had less collisions. Walenga said yes, but did not get to finish his statement. Wiggins said he could provide that information at the December meeting.[[In-content Ad]]
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