BonnerSprings.com

Topeka — The Bonner Springs school district, like many across the state, is trying to figure out what to do about a substantial funding cut in its driver’s education program.

“We’re going to try to hold everyone harmless as much as we can but we’ll have to look into raising fees,” said Superintendent Robert Van Maren. “We’re definitely going to try to help out as much as we can because it’s an important education component.”

The problem is that earlier this year, the Kansas Legislature and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius approved a state budget that essentially raided a state safety fund that is paid for with a percentage of all driver’s license fees.

Money from that safety fund goes to help driver’s education programs. But the new budget included a little-known proviso that took $1.7 million and placed it in the state’s general fund to pay for various services.

Bottom line: School districts were previously getting $108 per student reimbursement for driver’s ed, but for the past summer’s program, the districts received only $38 per student.

While Van Maren said this change will not affect student’s signed up for this year’s driver’s education session, changes will have to be made for those future students.

The current cost of Bonner’s driver’s education program is $125 for district students and $225 for out-of-district students. Van Maren said he couldn’t estimate how much the fee would have to eventually rise, but said the school board should be willing to chip in to keep the cost at a reasonable level.

Not everyone is so optimistic, however, that this legislature will have a more adverse affect of the existence of public school’s driver’s education.

Jim Hathaway, who is a driver’s education instructor in Bonner Springs as well as the surrounding area, said the legislation would “pretty much destroy driver’s education” as we know it.

“It would be up to the (school) boards across the state to decide if they thought it was worth while,” Hathaway said. “Everybody’s budget is pretty much worked to the bone right now so I doubt if they would pick up that short fall and continue driver’s ed. The student would now have to cover cost of gasoline and car rental.”

— Reporter Nicole Kelley

contributed to this article.

Comments