Driver Education

Overview

The classwork sessions of a Driver Education program on the Chatham Charter campus have operated under the umbrella of the program in Chatham County Schools since 2013. In October of 2015 Chatham County Schools began to contract with the North Carolina Driving School to run its program. The current state budget includes Driver Education funding so students enrolled at Chatham Charter, regardless of their county of residence, are accounted for in the funding received from the state. This means all age-eligible Chatham Charter students can take the program through Chatham County Schools. There is no cost to take the state-required 30-hour course or to complete the six-hour, in-car driving portion of Driver Education. Students are welcome to take this program or go through a private company.

Upcoming Classes

Chatham Charter typically has a Driver Education class during the fall and in May the week after the school year ends. A January class is offered at times offered if the need arises.

Timing & Enrollment

School administration works with the North Carolina Driving School in an effort to offer an October-November class, a January-February class, and a May class depending on the number of eligible students who pre-enroll. Updates will be posted on this webpage. Non-Chatham Charter students who are Chatham County residents or who are enrolled in a school in the county can take the classes offered at Chatham Charter.

If a student chooses to take a Driver Education class at a Chatham County high school, use this link to see scheduled classes and how to register. (This is not done through Chatham Charter.)

Seated Class Time

The state requires that a young person be 14.5 years old on or by the first day of the class. Letters will be sent home with eligible students in advance inviting them to register for the class. The total seat time for the classwork is 30 hours. The class schedules generally follow this schedule:  Fall or winter classes (Monday-Friday before 8:30am and two Saturdays) or May class (Monday-Friday, 6 hours each day).

In-Car Driving

Students must drive an additional six hours at a later time in order to complete the program. The NC Driving School staff teaches the course. The instructor schedules the driving portion of Driver Education with each family after the student completes the classwork course. Please understand there is a teacher shortage. The instructor works to schedule the oldest students first, which means 16 and 17-year-old students are a priority.  The average wait time after the last day of class is between 90-120 days.  The class is limited to 26. Once students have completed the bookwork portion of Driver Education, if several months have passed and the student has not been called to drive, all questions about driving dates should be directed to the NC Driving School, not to Chatham Charter staff.

Upon completion of the driving portion of Driver Education, the Chatham Charter student can bring his/her certificate and request the final paperwork from the high school office that, once signed by the school designee and a parent, allows the student to go to the local DMV driver license office.
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