Drivers Education Program

REGISTRATION FOR THE FALL 2025 DRIVERS EDUCATION CLASSES WILL OPEN AUGUST 27TH, 2025 AND CLOSES SEPTEMBER 8TH.  

Email confirmations of class placement or non-placement will be sent by September 15th, 2025. Please monitor your spam and junk mail so you don’t miss the email. If your child is placed in a class, information will be sent to you on how to make the $335 payment before classes begin.

Classes will run approximately September 22nd to January 9th.

Under state guidance, a student whom misses more then 2 scheduled classes cannot successfully complete drivers education!

Questions? Please contact:  trafficeducation@helenaschools.org

2025-2026 Sessions Information:  All Class dates and birthdates are reviewed and can change prior to each session.

  • Fall 2025 Class: Registration will open August 27 – September 8th.  Classes will run September 22 – January 9, 2026 depending upon instructors schedule.  Students must be 14 on or before March 22, 2025 to register for this session.
  • Winter/Spring 2026 Class:  Registration will open January 5 – January 15, 2026.  Classes will run  from February 2 – April 17, 2026 depending upon instructors schedule. Students must be 14 on or before August 2nd 2025 to register for this session.
  • Summer 2026 Registration will open April 6 – April 15, 2026. Classes will run May 4 – August 13, 2026 depending upon instructors schedule .  Students must be 14 on or before February 13, 2026 to register for this session. (Summer Class Birthdate Requirment may be subject to change)

Cost for class sessions is $335.00  (**DO NOT make payment for a class until you are offered a seat into a class. You will receive class placement and payment notification via email after registration closes.)

Available seats for Drivers Education may be limited at times during the year.  The procedure for placement of students into classes is outlined below.

  1. Ranked by birth date.  Oldest students have preference for placement.
  2. Once ordered by birth date, we place students into classes using their class preference until classes are full, with preference given to those students who reside or attend within the HSD geographic area.
  3. We place students who reside outside of the HSD geographic area in any remaining seats, again using the process of placing oldest applicant first.
  4. Students who are not placed into a class because of limited available space, will be notified.

Requirements for class once a seat is offered into a current session:

Mandatory Parent/Student Meeting
This is required prior to the start of each class.  Bring with you to the mandatory meeting:

  • a parent/guardian driver’s license and a black ink pen
  • student’s birth certificate or passport; and
  • student’s social security card or Montana ID

Two forms of Student ID (must be originals or certified copies of documents).  You may not start the class without these documents.

TO SECURE A SEAT IN CLASS AND BEFORE MANDATORY PARENT/STUDENT MEETING:  e-Payment ($335.00) must be made by credit card, debit card or electronic check by logging into RevTrak, https://helenaschools.revtrak.net.  Then select Drivers Education; then enter student name, school, and select Instructor name that has been assigned to you.  No refunds given after a class begins.

42 Hours of Classroom Instruction
Classes are offered at Helena High School and Capital High School.  Students may register for class at either school, but a parent needs to provide transportation.  Fall and Winter/Spring classes are after school 2-3 times per week. Summer class times vary during the day.  The individual instructors set their own schedules for each session, so no two schedules are ever the same.

Students are allowed two absences (make-up hours & homework are assigned by the instructor).  Since class attendance is mandatory, please take into consideration your family/student schedule (like sports, vacations, jobs).  The third absence is an automatic “unsuccessful” for the entire class.

12 Hours of Driving Observation
Students will drive six times either after school (on days they don’t have class) or on weekends.  Driving time is scheduled by the instructor.  We provide the Driver’s Education car.

6 Hours of Road Instruction
Driving time is scheduled by the instructor.  We provide the Driver’s Education car.

Traffic/Driver’s Education classes are not part of the school district curriculum.
We do not offer adult driver’s education.

For Instructors

To teach traffic education in Montana’s public schools, teachers must have an active Montana educator’s license, an acceptable driving record, and at least 8 semester credits in initial traffic education coursework taken at Montana State University-Northern.