Program Information

Student Cell Phone Use in Driver Ed Vehicles

The driver education program has a no-tolerance policy on student cell phone use in driver education vehicles. Students must store their cell phone in the center console of the driver education vehicle during their scheduled drive lab. 

Students, please remember to retrieve your cell phone out of the console after the drive lab.

Classroom Absences

• Classroom absences should only be if you are ill.

• All absences are required to be made up. Make-up sessions will not require an additional fee if they are fulfilled during regularly scheduled class times. To schedule the makeup class please communicate with the classroom instructor.

• Students who do not meet the requirements will need to re-register and pay an additional full-term registration fee to receive the Certificate of Completion.

• HOW TO SCHEDULE Classroom Absence - email Driver.Education@orecity.k12.or.us

Behind the Wheel Absences

• Only a parent is allowed to cancel the drive lab if the student is ill. The cancellation must be at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled drive lab.

• Illness will require an automatically re-scheduled drive lab with no fee if drive instructor is notified via phone (text or verbal) at least 24 hours prior. Parent needs to verify that the instructor has received the absence.

• Your student has a drive partner in addition to the instructor so please be courteous and show up on time to each drive lab. Cancelling last minute puts the drive partner and instructor in a difficult situation. All drive labs are mandatory per ODOT. The charge of $100 stated above has to be charged so that an additional drive lab can be scheduled and the instructor can be paid additional to what their contract states if the proper procedure is not followed.

• Drive lab attendance is extremely important because your student has a drive partner and our policy is not to drive with one student alone.

• The student must be on time with a permit and ready to drive or the drive lab will need to be rescheduled with a $100 make-up fee. ($120 make-up fee summer term due to 3 hour drive lab)

• If your student does not attend school that day due to illness, email driver.education@orecity.k12.or.us to notify classroom instructor. Other unavoidable circumstances with advance notice will be left up to the discretion of classroom and/or BTW instructor and/or program coordinator.

Refund

Less than two weeks prior to start of program, no refund.  More than two weeks prior to start of program, $50.00 retained by the Oregon City Driver Education program. 

DMV Waiver - Waive the Knowledge Test and Drive Lab When Obtaining Driver License!

The waiver program which went into effect winter term 2014, is simply DMV’s formal acknowledgement that students who pass an approved ODOT Driver Education Program have already demonstrated that they meet minimum performance standards. This is named the waiver program because it completely waives the DMV test based on the strength of the state’s approved driver education program. It does not change anything in the way we work with teens.

Students that pass the driver ed program will receive a plastic ODOT Certificate of Completion Card. When the student goes to DMV to obtain their license, DMV waives the knowledge test and behind the wheel test.

Where is my Certificate after Class is Completed?

You will receive an email from Suz Figini giving information about picking up the certificate of completion. Please allow one week to receive this email.

Failure in the Classroom or Behind-the-Wheel

Students must attend all of the classes and any missed time must be made up. They must turn in all assignments; turn in the driving log; and pass all class work, tests, and drive tests with an 80% or better. Disruptive students may be dropped from the program with no refund. If a student has a learning disability, we will help in any way, but they must be able to demonstrate understanding and knowledge of the curriculum. Behind the wheel students must be able to meet or pass the checklist.

Funding

Funding for the Drivers Education program comes from two sources: students' tuition and reimbursement from the Oregon Department of Transportation. The local school districts do not fund the program, but classroom space is provided free of charge.

Drivers Over 18 or Turns 18  / Obtain License While Taking Class  

The driver education program is a state-subsidized program and that is how we can offer a tuition price of $400.00. This tuition price is only for students with permits and not for licensed drivers. If a student has a license, obtains their license while taking the class, or is 18 or older before completing the class, the tuition will be $610.00.

Driver education is a part of the process for obtaining a provisional license (permit). 18 year old do not have to have a provisional license. That is why the state does not subsidize the driver education program if the student is 18 or older or licensed.

Guest Speakers

Pacific Seafood brought one of their delivery trucks to OCHS to the summer driver education classes.
The students got to climb into the driver's seat and see first-hand what the driver actually sees from his mirrors.  All the students were surprised at how far back the driver education car was behind the Pacific Seafood truck and still could not visually see the car but only the shadow of the car.  

The transportation manager at Pacific Seafood then came into the classroom and spoke to the class about being responsible safe drivers around trucks on the highways and roads. The students asked some great questions and the first-hand experience was a true learning experience!  Thank you Pacific Seafood! 

OCSD Driver Education Program also has the following additional guest speakers:  

• Oregon City Police Department

• Trauma Nurse with Legacy

• Municipal Court Judge of Oregon City