Driver’s Education

Winter/Spring registration will open the week following Xmas Break (January 4 through Thursday, January 14).  Cost is $305.  Due to COVID, only a couple meetings will be in-person, but classes will be through remote learning.  Drives will follow safety protocol.

Available seats for Drivers Education may be limited at times during the year.  The practice 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.
3. We place students who live outside of our attendance 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.  Payment will not be made until a seat in class is offered.

CHECK JUNK MAIL OR SPAM IF YOU THINK YOU’VE MISSED AN EMAIL.  Or contact:  trafficeducation@helenaschools.org

Age Requirements

• Fall 2020 student has to turn 15 years old by December 31, 2020
• Winter 2021/Spring 2021 student has to turn 15 years old by May 31, 2021
• Summer 2021 student has to turn 15 years old by August 31, 2021

Requirements for Class

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
• students and parents must wear face covering during in-person meetings/testing and during drives

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

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.

All communication is done through email at trafficeducation@helenaschools.org 

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.