Driver Education
Driver Ed. Office: Sabrina Williams, Coordinator (518) 392-4142, ext. 1003
Fall/Winter Program Forms & Information
5-hour Pre-Licensing Course
Driver Education Links
Driver Education Certification Program Guidelines
The Chatham Central School District Driver Education Program provides students with quality driver education that follows the NYS Education Department of Traffic Safety regulations. The goal is to provide the student with the proper knowledge, operational habits, skills and attitude to safely and responsibly operate a vehicle on today’s roadways.
After successful completion of this course, the student will be issued an MV-285 Certificate of Completion (formerly known as the Blue Card). This will afford the student senior license privilege of nighttime driving at age 17. In most cases, it reduces the cost of auto insurance premiums as much as 20% for two years, depending on the policies of the insurance company.
This course is NOT, by itself, intended as a means to pass the road test. Additional behind the wheel practice is required by DMV (at least 50 hours) in order to take the road test and be ready to obtain a driver’s license.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
The program is supplemental to and not a part of the regular school curriculum.
The program is run after school and Saturdays – or during the summer.
The program does not count as credit towards a local or Regents diploma.
Students must attend the required number of hours to obtain an MV-285 Certificate of Completion.
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE
To be eligible, students must be 16 years of age or older by the first class session. Students must abide by the rules and regulations of the CCSD Code of Conduct. Refunds will not be issued if a student is suspended, punished or penalized due to the student’s violation of the Code of Conduct. A copy of the Code of Conduct is available in each school building office and on the School District website.
AFTER SCHOOL/SATURDAY PROGRAM
Students participating in the AFTER SCHOOL program will be attending sessions totaling 3 hours per week – 1 ½ hours in the classroom one weeknight (usually from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) and 1½ hours in the car on either that same weeknight after school or Saturdays. Car seat time will be finalized at a mandatory information session held on the first night of class in the High School Library at 7:00 p.m. Every attempt will be made to accommodate students’ choice of driving time, but that is not always possible.
This program provides students with 24 hours of classroom instruction, 18 hours of in-car observation and 6 hours of actual behind-the-wheel instruction. The tentative schedule is as follows:
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM DATES & TIMES (16 students maximum):
First week in September through last week in January OR
First week of February through third week of June.
Weeknights (CHS Room 110):
Classroom from 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Car #1 (4 students) from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
*Weeknight TBD / Times may vary slightly
Saturdays (Meet in CHS Parking Lot):
Car #2 (4 students) from 8:00-9:30 am
Car #3 (4 students) from 9:30-11:00 am
Car #4 (4 students) from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
See Dates for 2nd Semester (Spring 2024)
SUMMER PROGRAM:
SUMMER PROGRAM DATES & TIMES (24 student max):
The Summer Driver Ed Program runs Monday through Friday for six weeks (on or about) July 1 through mid August.
The behind-the-wheel portion of instruction teaches safe and lawful driving techniques, however, the six hours provided during this course will not be sufficient to satisfactorily prepare the student for the NYS road test, nor will it make the student an accomplished driver. It is essential that parents provide practice driving time in addition to the driver education instruction.
REGISTRATION AND FEE
The Driver Education Certification Program will be offered three times each year:
Fall/Winter (September through January)
Winter/Spring (February through June)
Summer (July 1 through mid- to late-August)
The Driver Education course is self-supporting at a cost of $395 per student. The fee is subject to change. This fee covers the cost of the instructor, car, insurance and gasoline. The fee is only refundable up to the start of classes (we must determine the number of students participating prior to the first class). Parents may register their child by completing a Parental Permission Slip and submitting it with a check made payable to Chatham Central School to the address below at least two days before the start of class (see permission slip above or call 518-392-1502):
Driver Ed Coordinator
Chatham Central School District
50 Woodbridge Avenue
Chatham, NY 12037
This course is open to all students, resident and non-resident, age 16 and older who attend school (public school, private school & home school). Students will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, providing payment in full has been received and the application/permission slip has been submitted. Checks returned for insufficient funds may cause a student to be placed on a waiting list.
ATTENDANCE
Students are required to complete 24 hours classroom and 24 hours in-car instruction in order to comply with Department of Motor Vehicle regulations and receive the MV-285 certificate, therefore attendance is extremely important. Students are expected to attend all of the driving and classroom instruction on the scheduled days each semester. If a student knows they will miss a class or driving due to an emergency, family vacation, music/sports activity during the school year, or for ANY other reason, please notify the instructor in advance (if possible) to arrange for make-up sessions. If the student is involved in extracurricular activities that interfere with several of the classroom/driving sessions, or if the student knows s/he will have to miss more than 3 or 4 classes for any reason, it may be wise to wait and take the course during another session. Refunds will not be issued once the session begins. Students who miss classroom and driving time without arranging for making up the sessions are at risk of losing credit for their certificate. If school is closed due to an emergency or weather related event, the instructor will reschedule class to meet the required hours of instruction.
Driver Education requires commitment on the part of students and parents to fulfill the NYS DMV course requirements. Before signing up for driver education, please consider realistically the number of various activities the student will be actively involved in that may interfere with classroom or driving times.
CERTIFICATES:
The MV-285 Student Certificate of Completion will be issued to students who successfully complete the program on the last day of the course. The MV-285 form has a number that the student must provide to the Department of Motor Vehicles when signing up for their road test. At the bottom of the form is a perforated section to submit to the insurance company for a discount on insurance premiums. The certificate is valid for two years from the original date it is issued.
LOST CERTIFICATES:
Please keep certificates in a safe place until needed for scheduling a road test. The certificates are signed by the Superintendent and the certificate numbers are registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles. As a result, acquiring a duplicate certificate requires preparation of another certificate and re-registration to NYS DMV. This could be a lengthy process if certificates need to be ordered from DMV and will involve an additional fee of $10.
5-HOUR PRE-LICENSING COURSE
Offered three time per year, this 5-hour course is open to students age 16 and older and is a prerequisite to obtaining a NYS driver’s license. Must have permit by 2nd class night. Sponsored by DMV, this class provides an opportunity to gain classroom exposure to defensive-driving principles and other factors that affect driver behavior. Emphasis will be placed on the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol and other drugs and using portable electronic devices while driving. The importance of using safety belts as a means of reducing injuries is also given considerable attention. By actively participating in and completing the DMV pre-licensing program, beginning drivers have an opportunity to improve significantly. Collisions, convictions, suspensions or revocations can be greatly reduced or eliminated entirely. Please send or bring in a copy of your permit when you register. Must attend both nights to receive certificate. The cost is $35.00.
NYS DMV LAW
Teens younger than 18 are required to hold a learner’s permit for six (6) months before they can schedule a road test to get a license. The law requires 50 driver training hours, with at least 15 hours of night-time driving; restricts non-family passengers younger than 21 in the vehicle to one when not accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian; and bans teens from using any portable electronic devices, hand-held or not.
ALL DRIVERS it is illegal to text or use any portable electronic device while the vehicle is in motion. ANY DRIVER found guilty of driving while using a cell phone or texting will have two points added to their driving record AND a $150 fine.
For additional information visit: http://www.dmv.ny.gov/youngerdriver/default.html
New Drivers: How to Get Your Driver License
The process to apply for a non-commercial driver license in NYS includes the following steps:
Apply for a learner permit. Visit https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-licenses and download Application for Permit, Driver's License - MV44.
Pay the application fee and the driver license fee. Pass the vision test and the written test. Receive your permit.
Practice for your road test.
Take a driver education course or a DMV-approved pre-licensing course.
Make an appointment for your road test: http://www.dmv.ny.gov/rtreq.htm. Use your MV-285 driver education certificate or MV-278 pre-licensing course certificate to make an appointment for your road test by phone or online.
Pass your road test and receive your NYS driver license.
Certification of Supervised Driving– Click on this link to download a copy of the Certification of Supervised Driving. Driver license applicants who have a junior learner permit must present this completed certificate to the License Examiner at the time of the road test, certifying that they have completed 50 hours of supervised driving, including 15 hours after sunset. The required supervised driving hours do NOT apply to 17-year old permit holders who have completed a certified Driver Education course and who present a valid Student Certificate of Completion (MV-285) at the road test, since they will be issued a senior license upon passage of the road test.