DATE:
April 30, 2021
TO:
High School Principals
Assistant Principals Responsible for Driver Education
FROM:
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
SUBJECT:
Reduction of .125 FTE Preparation Period for Driver Education
Beginning the 2022-23 school year, the previously allocated .125 FTE for a Driver Education preparation period will no longer be allocated. It has been funded through the Driver Education budget which has its own budgeting system that should sustain its program costs and has not been able to do so for the last several years. The overall budget balance continues to decrease at a rapid rate.
Schools will be able to choose if they would like to continue to make additional preparation time available for their Driver Education program. If it is decided at the school level to do so, the funding will need to be through the school’s regular allocated funding sources. As a reminder, the district does provide the high school sixteen $500 department chair stipends that can be used for your Driver Education chairperson.
Because we value the opportunity for students to participate in this program during their regular school day schedule as well as doing everything we can to maintain our current pay schedule for the employees involved in the program, it was determined that discontinuing the .125 would be the best way to move forward and balance our budget while continuing to monitor the following factors:
- Continued efforts to supplement the instructional class periods during the school day where students are taught Driver Education outside of our budget
- Maintaining the current pay structure (80% of lane salary up to $36.50 per hour) for all driver education instructors helping with behind-the-wheel instruction
- Continue funding our full-time mechanic that helps maintain our vehicle fleet
- Maintaining the current fee schedule ($140/$160) for students who participate
- Continue to monitor expenditures versus revenues
- Vehicles/Repairs/Supplies/Conference registrations/GPS Software/Gas/etc.
