MO to offer online driver's ed course to high school students

According to a KCStar article:
Starting in the spring with a pilot program, which is expected to enroll about 100 students, Missouri's Virtual Instruction Program will offer the book part of driver’s education. . . .

State funding will cover the cost of the class in the school year, meaning parents who want a driver’s prep course for their children won’t have to pay for it through a private company. . . .

The course will become full-fledged in the summer before the school year starts. State funding won't cover that, with the cost expected to be less than $200.

Students who take the roughly 10-week online course also can use it for an elective credit. . . .

As for driver's education, Hardy said it has been squeezed out of the curricula in many districts, given the intense focus now on basic subjects such as math and reading.

According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this year fewer than 10 percent of Missouri’s 524 districts offered driver's education in the regular school year. Nearly 200 did so in the summer.

A spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Education said that virtually all of the state's nearly 300 school districts offer driver's education, but she said there was a trend away from offering it. . . .
Those interested in taking the class are advised to monitor the program Web site in February and March or call 573-526-4219 for more information.

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