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Franz Meyer, director of Pathways High School in Milwaukee, receives questions from students almost every day about driver education opportunities.
He said students want to learn to drive, but options are limited and often unaffordable.
“I tell them they can go here but slots are limited, or they can go here but it will cost $350,” Meyer said. “But that clearly wasn't enough. Some young people are willing to take the risk of driving.”
He said the cost of a driver's education course ranges from $100 to $400.
Help may be available soon. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is expected to roll out a free driver's education program for Wisconsin high school students in need.
Wisconsin Act 86, signed by Gov. Tony Evers in early December, makes $6 million available for driver education.
According to fiscal estimates from the Wisconsin Department of Administration, between 10,000 and 13,300 students could be eligible to receive driver education grants under the program.
Common Ground launches campaign
The grant is the result of Common Ground's three-year campaign and was launched after listening sessions the group held in 2021.
Common Ground is a nonpartisan organization that enables residents to identify problems in their community and find solutions.
Common Ground organizer and executive director Jennifer Ohia said the funds are expected to be available by July.
Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation declined to comment on when the funds would be available or how students and their families could access them for driver education. They said the program was in the “development stage.”
listen to community concerns
Mr Ohia said Common Ground heard from 982 people who said reckless driving was their biggest concern.
Frank Finch, leader of Common Ground, which participated in the campaign, said, “In this area (Milwaukee's Sherman Park), there have been many incidents where young people get into cars without knowing how to drive and cause accidents. ” he said.
As the conversation evolved from listening to residents' concerns to creating solutions, Common Ground leaders pointed to driver education as a tool to address reckless driving.
The state of Wisconsin funded driver education from 1961 to 2004, Ohia said.
However, the state still requires young people under 18 to enroll in a school or commercial driving program to obtain a learner's permit or probationary license.
“We learned that there was a whole generation of kids who didn't know how to drive because they didn't have access to driver's education,” Finch said.
Meyer, of Pathways High School, is in his sixth year in the position and participated in the campaign along with several students.
One of his students, Shankeira Caldwell, said the cost of a driver's license posed a challenge for her.
“I've been having a hard time accessing driver's manuals. It's been a little difficult because of the price,” she said. “I really, really wanted to drive, too, and I know you can't drive without a license, so it was hard to wait.”
Few 18-year-olds in Milwaukee have a driver's license, compared to 66% of 18-year-olds statewide, according to a 2016 study from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Employment and Training Institute, the most recent data available. 30%.
Furthermore, only 30% of African American and Hispanic 18-year-olds have a driver's license, compared to 75% of white 18-year-olds.
Through community listening sessions, Common Ground leaders recognized the need for long-term funding for student driver education as a way to combat reckless driving.
Ohia and Finch said their campaign started when they met Andy Franken, president of the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance. This group represents the property and casualty insurance industry and advocates and promotes the policies of these groups.
“When I saw specific articles and research about Milwaukee and the state as a whole, I knew this was a worthy cause to be a part of,” Franken said.
This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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