John F. Kennedy High School senior, Student Member of the Board (SMOB) Nate Tinbite proposed last November that MCPS partner with driver education programs to enable more cost efficient and readily available driving courses to students.

Tinbite began advocating for in school drivers education courses as part of his SMOB campaign platform. Once part of the health curriculum in the ‘90s, MCPS previously offered these classes in high schools until 1994, forcing students to take classes through private companies in order to meet the 30 hour in-class and six hour in-car Maryland requirements for the license exam. In-school drivers education courses would decrease costs for students and families as local driving classes generally cost upwards of hundreds of dollars to enroll.

“Costs, convenience and competing academic priorities often act as barriers to teens who might otherwise become licensed drivers,” Tinbite said. “Students are increasingly overwhelmed with academic and extracurricular activities and offering driver’s education at school sites would offer a convenient option for students.”