KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Many of you wanted to know about local options available for driver's education classes, since most schools don't offer them anymore. So we decided to investigate this topic for this week's Facebook Story of the Week.
The Kirksville Area Technical Center offers a class every July, for $300. The student must be 15 years old before the start of class and there are only 21 spots. Adults can also enroll in the class. It is split into two sections- classroom instruction and driving.
"They spend 30 hours in the classroom, learning the information in the books, videos and internet instruction," said Sheryl Ferguson, Director of the Kirksville Area Technical Center. "Mr.. Archer gets the students ready to take their exams. Then they'll spend 15 hours in the car, nine hours observing other drivers, and six hours driving. "
The instructor of the class is Marty Archer. He has taught driver's education for more than a decade.
"Marty Archer has taught Driver's education for me for the past 13 years. He's excellent and very, very, patient. "
Ferguson said the classes may save parents a lot of money in the long run.
"Some insurance companies will offer discounts and a lot of the parents that I talk to just want their children to be safer drivers. As a parent, I feel that driving is the most dangerous thing we allow our children to do. So, any formal instruction you can give them will make them safer on the road."
In the state of Missouri, teens are not required to take a driver's education class. If they are 16 or older, anyone 21 or older with a valid driver's license can be their instructor.
Here is a link to the state's regulations regarding teens obtaining a driver's license. Also, the Kirksville License Office can address concerns regarding this issue.
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