Leave the driving (instruction) to him

Last year he saved the nearly 125-year-old tradition of the St. Gall's Catholic Church St. Patrick's Day dinner by volunteering to chair it when no one else came forward.

This year Rob Swartz is bringing local, affordable driver education classes to students of the Kaneland school district.

Swartz, a resident of Elburn for four years, is only 44 but he retired early from the Glendale Heights police force due to a back injury he sustained in the line of duty in August 2005.

After surgery and spending months in bed, he found his work options to be limited and the time on his hands seemed endless.

Last year, he found meaning by volunteering for St. Gall's. Earlier this year, he found fulfillment while working as an instructor at a driving school in Batavia.

"I would walk my students up to the door after driving sessions and tell their parents how they were doing," Swartz said. "It seemed natural to me. I think it was all those years of police work. But I found out I was the only one doing this."

Swartz made a couple of discoveries. He liked the work and was a popular instructor. And there was a need for driver education classes in the Kaneland school district.

Batavia was the closest location for Kaneland parents to bring their children for classes, and it's 12 miles from Elburn.

With Illinois passing stricter laws regarding teens getting their license, driver education classes at public high schools are filling up fast.

"My daughter has band," Swartz said of his 15-year-old daughter, Bethany. "It makes it tough for her to find time for drivers ed."

Swartz, who also has a son Joseph, 15, approached his employers about opening a branch in Elburn. They said no.

Then Amy Fabrizius, 15, of Maple Park and a student at Kaneland High School, wrote a letter to the editor of a local paper pointing out the need for local classes.

"I showed my bosses the letter but they still said no, they weren't ready," Swartz said. "So I'm opening the school myself with my wife. And Amy is getting a full scholarship. She deserves to be recognized for speaking out about the problem."

Swartz is opening the Fox Valley Driving School at the old post office on Gates Street in Elburn. Classes begin June 9. Adults are welcome also, and he may give seniors a discount.

In August, after the children return to school, classes will begin in the afternoon to coincide with the afternoon bus schedule.

"Parents can pick up their children from class, but they won't have to bring them. And with these gas prices, having a school in Elburn saves parents a lot of time and money because they won't have to drive far," Swartz reasoned.

He intends to keep his prices low, $300 to $350. He says most private schools are in the $500 range.

"I'm not looking to get rich," he said. "I'd like to keep the classes in Elburn. I think of it as a community service. I found I can do something useful. I'm glad after being cheated out of ending my police career."

More information about the school is available online at www.fvdrive.com.