• WCSD New York State-Approved Driver Education Program

    Fall 2024

    • Eligibility Requirements

      • This program is primarily open to students who live within the boundaries of the Wappingers Central School District. We will try to accommodate any out-of-district students who would like to enroll in the program, once all WCSD students have been placed. ***OUT-OF-DISTRICT STUDENTS SHOULD NOT REGISTER FOR THIS PROGRAM. If you would like to participate in this program, please call our office at 298-5000, ext. 40130, and you will be added to the wait list.

      • Students must be 16 years of age by the start of the first class and have a valid NY State Learner’s Permit (MV-100).  A student can REGISTER for the program without yet having a learner's permit but MUST have obtained their permit by the first class.  

      • There will be no orientation. All information will be relayed to parents via email. You can expect several emails the week prior to the start of your session. These emails will be sent to the ACCOUNT EMAIL ADDRESS on your ArbiterSports registration. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive them.  

      • The program is 32 sessions – 16 class lectures and 16 driving sessions in which each student gets 6 hours behind the wheel instruction during the course of the program. The student must attend all 32 sessions to receive their completion certificate.  

      • For the driving sessions, students will be in a car with three other students and an instructor from the American Driving Academy.  

      • Students will be picked up and dropped off at the high school (either JJ or RCK, depending upon which session they register for) for all driving sessions.   

      • This is a pass/fail course. A student must pass the course in order to receive a course completion certificate.

      • This program teaches the student proper techniques, laws, and responsibilities pertaining to driving in New York State. The course provides 48 hours of instruction as mandated by New York State, certified instructors, and the 5-hour NYS Pre-licensing certification (i.e., you do not have to take a separate 5-hour pre-licensing course if you enroll in this program.)   

      • Upon successful passing & full completion of the entire course, students will receive an MV-285 (Course Completion Certificate) from the district in the mail approximately 3-4 weeks after the entire course has ended. This certificate provides a 10-15% premium insurance discount through most insurance companies, and a Class D (senior) driver’s license at age 17 upon successfully passing the NY state road test & submitting their MV-285 to the DMV.

      Cost

      • The cost of the course is $650.  

      • Payment can be made in cash, a check made payable to WCSD, or debit/credit card. A 3.07% processing fee will be added for all debit/credit card payments.   

      • If you do not pay by debit or credit card, your cash or check payment MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE DRIVER ED OFFICE WITHIN ONE WEEK OF REGISTERING OR YOUR REGISTRATION WILL BE CANCELED. IN THE EVENT YOU REGISTER WITHIN A WEEK OF THE PROGRAM STARTING DATE, YOUR PAYMENT IS DUE BEFORE THE PROGRAM BEGINS. FAILURE TO DO THIS WILL RESULT IN YOUR REGISTRATION BEING CANCELED. This timeline will be strictly adhered to. Payment can be dropped off in person at the Driver Ed office between 8:30 am & 3:30 pm. Please call the office before coming to make sure someone is there. After hours, payment can be dropped in the secure drop box on the outside of our building at the RCK Annex.

      Refund Policy

      • If a student cannot be accommodated because classes are filled, all money will be returned. 

      • No refunds will be given once the course has begun.

      Attendance

      • Attendance at all lecture classes and driving sessions is MANDATORY.  All absences must be made up. Driving absences will carry an additional charge of $50 per student per driving session that needs to be made up. THIS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED THIS YEAR. More than 4 absences will be cause for the student to be dismissed from the course with no refund.

      • If you have less than 4 lecture absences in this session, these must be made up in the next session according to NYS DMV regulations. (i.e., if you are enrolled in the fall, they must be made up in the winter/spring session. They cannot be pushed to the summer session.)

      • Before registering, please consider your other time commitments that might interfere with your full participation with this program (i.e., sports, vacation, employment schedules, and academic responsibilities.) No refunds will be given once the program has begun. **PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN A SPORT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THIS PROGRAM IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SPORTS PARTICIPATION.

      Lecture & Driving Information

      • Students will have lecture class once a week for 1 & 1/2 hours and will drive in the car once a week for 1 & 1/2 hours for 16 weeks.  

      • Lecture times and driving day/times will be chosen when you register online.

      • Please note that if weather forces the cancelation of a lecture class or driving session, the class or lesson will be rescheduled at some point during the 16 weeks and will likely be on a different day of the week. The rescheduled class/lesson will still be considered part of the mandatory requirements.

      • Driving days available will be Mondays through Fridays, after school, between 2:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Days/times will vary at the two high schools.

      • Students MUST attend ALL 16 lectures & ALL 16 driving sessions in order to be eligible to receive a completion certificate. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS.

        REGISTRATION PROCESS:
        When completing your registration online you will choose:

        1) your lecture class TIME 
        2) your driving DAY and TIME  

        These will then be your lecture time and driving day/time for the entire 16 weeks of the program.  

        Please make sure that you choose a lecture time and a driving day/time that DO NOT OVERLAP. (Note: a lecture time that ends at 4:00 pm, for example, and a driving time that begins at 4:00 pm is NOT a conflict.)  

        There are limited spots available in each time slot. Once that time slot is full, you will not be able to register for it. Please note: the driving day/times listed to register for are suggested times and may be subject to adjustment based upon the number of students that register.  

        We run 4 Driver Ed sessions throughout the year:

        Fall Session - runs mid-September through middle/late January
        Winter/Spring Session - runs early February through early June
        Summer Session 1 - usually begins late June and runs through mid-July
        Summer Session 2 - usually begins mid-July and runs through mid-August

        Registration for the 4 sessions usually opens as follows:

        Fall - usually opens mid/late August
        Winter/Spring - usually opens in early/mid-December
        Summer Session 1 & 2 - usually opens in mid/late April