Relating to private instruction and driver education

Description

Senate File 546 does the following:

• Eliminates the provision for the Department of Education or area education agencies to provide an online learning platform to students receiving independent private instruction.
• Provides technical corrections to clarify that both competent private instruction and independent private instruction are considered private instruction.
• Clarifies that competent private instruction can be under the supervision of a licensed instructor or can be provided by a parent, guardian, or legal custodian.
• Changes the reporting date of the annual evaluation of a student under competent private instruction from June 30 to August 1, changes the date to complete the annual assessment of a student under competent private instruction from May 1 to May 31, and aligns assessment requirements with those of the statewide assessment.
• Adds pedestrian awareness instruction to driver education courses.
• Allows all students under private instruction to be allowed to use parent-taught driver education.
• Eliminates certain time requirements for parent-taught driver education and reduces the number of hours of required driving time.
• Aligns documentation for parent-taught driver education course completion and certification with Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements.
• Allows any student of compulsory attendance age to use parent-taught driver education.

Background

Private instruction, sometimes referred to as homeschooling, can be provided in multiple ways in the State of Iowa. Students in private instruction can be supported by a certified teacher, through a school district, without a certified teacher, or through a nonaccredited school. Different opportunities and requirements apply depending on what method of private instruction is used for the student. More information on the methods of private instruction can be found here.

In Iowa, the DOT requires drivers under the age of 18 seeking an intermediate driver’s license to meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 16 years old.
• Complete an Iowa-approved driver education course.
• Have had an instruction permit for a total of at least one year and a clean driving record for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying for an intermediate driver’s license.
• Successful completion of a driving test overseen by a driver education instructor or at the driver’s license issuance site.
• Parent or guardian written consent.

Driver education courses in Iowa can be administered through public and private high schools or professional driving schools. The cost of these courses can range from $275 to $390. Students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals may qualify for a fully waived or reduced fee. Currently, 48 companies provide driver education courses across the State to approximately 21,000 students.

2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 121, amended Iowa Code section 321.178A to allow for a teaching parent of a homeschooled child to provide private driving instruction to the parent’s child. Parent-taught driver education requires the purchase of an online classroom course, which costs from $75 to $260. Three of the four vendors providing online coursework are not based in Iowa.

More than 35,000 intermediate driver’s licenses are issued each year, with fewer than 500 students using parent-taught driver education. The majority of students who have completed driver education through a high school or professional driving school will have completed the required driving test; therefore, limited administrative processing is required by the DOT.

Assumptions

• The DOT will issue an average of 35,000 intermediate driver’s licenses per year.
• The majority of students taking driver education courses are of compulsory attendance age as defined in Iowa Code chapter 299. Students 17 years of age or older will not be allowed to use parent-taught driver education under this Bill.
• Senate File 546 as amended will increase the number of students receiving parent-taught driver education to 50.0%.
• Administration of the approval and review process under SF 546 as amended is estimated to increase full-time equivalent (FTE) staff costs to the DOT’s Motor Vehicles Division by a total of 4,375 hours, or 2.0 FTE positions, per year. The average salary of a DOT Administrative Assistant II position, the position that currently manages the parent-taught driver education program, is $61,000, including benefits.
• Administration of driving skills testing by the DOT under SF 546 as amended is estimated to increase FTE costs to the DOT’s Motor Vehicle Division by a total of 13,125 hours, or 6.0 FTE positions, per year. The average salary of a DOT Driver’s License Examiner is $53,000, including benefits. County treasurer offices may bear some of this cost as they also administer driving tests, but at a lesser rate than DOT-operated driver’s license service centers.

Fiscal Impact

Senate File 546 as amended is expected to increase FTE costs to the DOT Motor Vehicle Division by an estimated $440,000 (2.0 FTE positions x $61,000 and 6.0 FTE positions x $53,000). The Motor Vehicle Division is funded by the Road Use Tax Fund (RUTF) and the Primary Road Fund (PRF). The cost increases to the counties are expected to be minimal due to dispersion of costs among county licensing locations.

Source

• Iowa Department of Transportation