Dane County To Offer Free Drivers Ed To Poor Students

Dane County’s executive signed a resolution Thursday that will provide free drivers education to those who can’t afford it.

Dane County will pay for 50 low-income teenagers in the Madison Metropolitan School District to take drivers education. It’s part of an effort by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi called Access to Opportunity.

“I think a lot of people who don’t have kids in school now would be surprised to learn that drivers ed is no longer part of a high school experience,” Parisi said. “So what happens? You have to pay for your own course, which costs $400. So out of that is born another disparity.”

A 2013 report called Race to Equity found African-Americans in Dane County were five times more likely than whites to be unemployed. Parisi said it’s hard to find employment without access to transportation.

The Access to Opportunity initiative also helps drivers get their license back after revocation. These two driver programs, along with one on transitional jobs, cost about $58,000. Dane County is paying for them by transferring unused money from another program.