Obtaining a driver’s license can be fraught with challenges, from merging onto the highway to mastering the dreaded parallel parking.
Teens in Newport have an additional obstacle to overcome in their pursuit of independence on the road: getting into a driver education class.
That task is about to get easier. After a hiatus of several years, driver education courses are returning to Newport High School in the coming months. School administrators are finalizing the details of a new program that will be offered in the evenings. No firm startup date has been set, but Newport Middle High School Principal Shannon Martin said classes should begin within the current school year.
“We’re very excited to be offering this to our students and community,” said Martin, who has been working with Newport resident Christina Day, a certified driving instructor, to create the program.
New Hampshire residents can obtain a driver’s license at the age of 18 by passing a written test and road test. They can get a license at the age of 16 if they complete a state-approved driver education program and pass the written and road tests.
Newport teenagers currently have limited options for driver education. Classes at the nearest driving school, in Sunapee, fill up 12 to 15 months in advance, according to its website. Until recently, Stevens High School in Claremont did not offer driver education either. The next nearest program was at Lebanon High School, 30 minutes away.
“I have no doubt we will fill the classes easily,” Martin said. “Just this year, knowing that it’s coming, we already have a list of students that we know are interested.”
Martin, who is in her third year as principal, isn’t certain how long the school has been without a driver education program. She hopes the program will open doors for some students.
“We have several kids who really want to take advantage of things like internships in the community,” she said.
Newport Chevrolet Buick GMC is providing a 2018 Chevy Malibu for the program free of charge. “It’s all lettered up and ready to go,” said General Manager Jeff Scarinza.
The school is currently working on scheduling a state inspection of the classroom the program will use, obtaining insurance and sorting out logistics. Martin isn’t certain whether the school will hire Day as an employee or contract with her as an independent provider. The program will not require budgetary approval because it will be self-sustaining, she said. Students will pay tuition to take the course.
Day told the Eagle Times she plans to charge $650 per course, plus a $50 non-refundable deposit. Newport High School students will receive a $100 discount. She did not respond to an interview request last week.
A new driver education program also began at Stevens High School in Claremont this year, according to SAU 6 Superintendent Mike Tempesta. Prior to that, Stevens students were traveling as far as Henniker, N.H. or to Fall Mountain Regional High School in Langdon, N.H., he said.
Some public high schools offer their own driver education programs, while others provide classroom space for state-licensed commercial programs that operate independently, according to the state Division of Motor Vehicles, which oversees driver education licensing. About 17,000 New Hampshire teenagers participate in a driver education program each year.
State-approved driver education programs offer 30 hours of instruction, 10 hours of driving practice and six hours of driving observation with a certified driver education instructor. Additionally, students must complete 40 hours of supervised driving with an adult.
The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles recently announced a new Parent’s Supervised Driving Program to help parents teach their students to drive. It includes a digital curriculum customized to New Hampshire laws and a mobile application for logging supervised driving time. For information visit PSDPonline.com.
Sarah Earle can be reached at searle@vnews.com or 603-727-3268.