Parents pushing for class's return

SACKETS HARBOR — The Sackets Harbor Central School District cut its driver education program last year to make up for state aid cuts, and some parents are telling district officials they want the program back.

Jeffrey P. Dillabough attended Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting to ask about the status of the program.

"I've got a son at driving age and he can't take driver's ed because there isn't a program this year. What is going on with this?" Mr. Dillabough asked board members.

Board President Gregg A. Townsend said board members understand and share Mr. Dillabough's concerns.

"I have two kids who have gone through driver's ed and I have two more to go. We lost the program this year, but we all want to see it come back as soon as we can make that happen," Mr. Townsend said.

Parents of district students also have contacted Superintendent Frederick E. Hall Jr. about getting the program back, Mr. Hall said.

The Sackets Harbor and Lyme Central School districts both are without driver education programs this school year. Students in those districts are left without many options. There normally would have been a chance for them to take a course through the Watertown City School District, but that district scaled back its regional summer school program this year because of state aid cuts, offering summer school only for its own students.

It was a difficult decision to cut the driver education program, but it was necessary to ensure that Sackets Harbor Central didn't have to lay off any staff, which was the first priority, Mr. Hall said.

"We had to make some very difficult decisions, and the board grappled with this a great deal. But it will be discussed when we enter next year's budget deliberations," Mr. Hall said.

Other school districts in the area offer driver education during the school year, but most classes are offered as electives during the school day.

Sending Sackets Harbor students out of the district to take driver education instead of their scheduled math, science and social studies courses is out of the question, Mr. Hall said.

"The value of the program cannot be disputed," Mr. Hall said. "But driver's ed is not mandated by the state, so it's one of the first things on the radar when a district needs to cut back."

Lyme Central School District is without a driver education program for a different reason; the certified teacher left in August, and the district hasn't found another certified candidate, Superintendent Karen M. Donahue said.

"There is a lot of interest in that program from people in the district, but we don't have anyone that is certified to teach it," Mrs. Donahue said. "Parents certainly can teach their children to drive themselves, but there are advantages to taking a class with insurance, and it can be a lot more objective when a family member isn't the one teaching."