Join the waitlist for driver’s ed course

Hold off on starting those engines. There’s a driver’s education course coming to the Custer School District (CSD) through Community Education of the Black Hills (CEBH) that will help student drivers stay safe on the road. 
Although the fall semester course is already full, parents can get their students on the waitlist for the spring semester and express their interest in the course. 
The class is taught by Hermosa School principal Forrest “Frosty” Paris, who received his certification through Northern State University in May. 
Since it didn’t work out to do a driver’s education course through the school district, Paris said they decided to reach out to CEBH and see how much interest there was. 
“They were pretty excited when I approached them about wanting to do classes in Hermosa and Custer,” said Paris. “They’ve always been trying to figure out how to get some classes to the kids in the Southern Hills.”
Paris said CEBH was also looking for more instructors, and he saw it as an opportunity to provide another lifelong skill that’s relevant to the students in the CSD 
“I think it’s even more important with the unique situation with kids driving from Hermosa to Custer through the park,” said Paris. 
This will be Paris’ first time instructing driver’s education. 
The course is broken into 30 hours of classroom instruction and a minimum of six hours of driving instruction. For the fall semester, classroom instruction hours are taking place at Hermosa School, and Paris will schedule driving instruction times with the individual students. 
This fall, classes will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, 21 and 28 and Sept. 11 and 18. Students will need to pack a lunch to eat during class. 
“I thought if we can do five Fridays, our kids have Fridays off, and that’s a good opportunity. Then, we’ll work in the driving hours before and after school, on weekends or on Fridays,” said Paris. 
The classroom curriculum uses the book “Drive Right.”
“It covers everything from the basics to distracted driving, peer pressure and trying to minimize the risks of students or anybody driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. So it covers the whole gamut of what kids need to know instead of the basics that the South Dakota manual covers,” said Paris. 
Along with the textbook, Paris said there are chapter tests that will help students prepare for the final test at the end of the course. 
Class time will also include lectures and discussion of the material. 
“We get the South Dakota Highway Patrol to come in. They’re great,” said Paris. “They talk a lot about distracted driving. They talk a lot about some of those super important things, about if you see an emergency vehicle, make sure you’re slowing down and getting over, which to me is important. My brother actually got hit on the interstate by a vehicle as a highway patrolman. Thank goodness he was fine, but experiences like that are good to have as an instructor too because it gives me the opportunity to really hammer those important pieces home.”
There will also be a presentation about the importance of being an organ donor and the process. 
The classroom portion of the course completely replaces the written exam as long as students pass with an 80 percent or better. 
“There’s a form that we stamp, and they just go into the DMV, and they can get their learner’s permit,” said Paris. “Then, the driving hours replace the driving exam that they would have to do at the DMV also to get their restricted license.”
Students need to pass the driving portion of the course, and all the skills that go with that, with an 80 percent or better. 
“I know a lot of parents don’t necessarily want to be out driving with their kids all the time,” said Paris. “So I think some parents just do that to get somebody else in the car with their child and someone that has some experience with it.”
The driving instruction is completed one-on-one or with a buddy system where two students take turns driving. That way students can be in the vehicle, hear the instructor give advice to the driver and make some observations. 
“The goal is to do basically two-hour sessions at a time and do three different two-hour sessions for a kid,” said Paris. “Sometimes you have to do more for those kids that might need a little bit more… It’s not necessarily just six hours, and we’re going to let them go. We’re going to work with them until they’re ready to be safe on the road.”
Because they are with a certified instructor of a certified program, students can begin their driving hours after the first class, “which is a big advantage because then we don’t have to waste five weeks for the class to be done.”
To make it convenient for students in Hermosa and Custer, they will start out driving in town. Then, they will transition to driving to and in Rapid City. 
“One of the best places to learn driving is probably in Rapid City because you’re going to get a lot of experience compared to just driving in Custer or Hermosa,” said Paris. “I wouldn’t want to start my own kid in downtown Rapid City, so we’ll use the small town atmosphere in Hermosa and Custer to get them comfortable behind the wheel before we throw them into the fire in Rapid City.” 
All the driving is completed in a CEBH vehicle equipped with an instructor break.
“That definitely makes it safer than throwing a kid in a vehicle where you have no control from the passenger side, especially for those kids that are brand new to driving or have very little experience,” said Paris. 
Taking the driver’s education course comes with several benefits, including a waiver of 95-days of the 275-day instruction permit, no testing at the DMV upon successful completion, guided practice with a state-certified instructor and insurance discounts with most major companies. 
The course as a whole is $425. Driving hours only are $40 per hour but do not come with additional benefits. The course is open to anyone in the area 14 years or older or turning 14 by the end of the class. Students who already have their learner’s permit can take the course as well. 
Registration for the fall course opened Aug. 1, starting with 15 student slots, which were filled shortly thereafter. There is a waiting list for prospective students, and the current plan is to offer another class in Custer in the spring. Any questions about the course can be directed to Paris at forrest.paris@k12.sd.us. 
“It seems like there’s quite a bit of interest in it, so I’m hoping that it takes off. Maybe someday we can get it into the school as part of a class, especially because it’s something we can bring to the kids that’s relevant to their life. As a parent myself, that’s super important,” said Paris. “I’m super excited. I hope parents take advantage of it. $425 isn’t cheap, but I also think it’s an investment to help your kids learn how to be safe drivers. I think that’s the biggest piece to it, especially in our state where kids can drive at such a young age. That’s a big responsibility they’re taking on.”