On Nov. 11, 2024, the District 303 school board unanimously voted to pass a waiver to increase the driver’s education fee from $400 to $600 in order to continue covering costs. The waiver for North and East lasts from 2025 to 2030.
Illinois state law has a standard rate for schools to charge driver’s ed students; However, individual districts like D303, which the Illinois General Assembly gave approval to previously, can change the fee to better meet their needs for operating the program.
“The driver’s ed fee is one of those things that falls under the huge umbrella that, if [the district] wants to change it, they have to go through the waiver process,” said Kristy Harrier, wellness department chair and driver’s ed teacher. “Looking at current costs and estimating where some things will be over the next five years, the district [decided to] increase the fee.”
Students pay the fee in order to enter driver’s ed, and the money goes towards a variety of expenses within the course.
“Even just fuel prices alone [are expensive],” said Harrier. “To maintain the cars, to have the cars, all of that definitely adds up. … I don’t think there’s anybody that likes to see fees go up, but at the same time, you got to be able to cover the cost of the program.”
Driver’s ed can act as a pathway for many students to eventually travel by themselves and experience more freedom.
“Driving and having a license is [more fun],” said Emilia Cruz, senior. “I can go places by myself. … I can also go to my job and get there and then get paid.”
The option of in-school driver’s ed also provides certain personalizations compared to programs outside of school.
“When you’re taking [driver’s ed] at your public high schools, you have certified teachers, while [commercial schools] don’t necessarily know about working with kids and understanding some of the special needs,” said Harrier. “We’re also able to do a lot of our programs during the school day. … It can be nice to just as part of your school day to get some of that done and not add something else to your plate after school.”
Many underclassmen look forward to taking driver’s ed and getting their driver’s licenses in the near future.
“It’s just alone time,” said Landon McCall, freshman. “It could be me in a car just driving places.”
