Proposal to lower Kaneland driver's ed fee lacks supporters

A Kaneland School Board member wants to reduce the high school drivers education fee from $300 to $50.

But other board members were unresponsive to Diane Piazza's pitch Monday night.

"I'm concerned the amount of the fee could be cost-prohibitive," she said. "Educating a child to be a safe driver is something we get back tenfold every day on the road."

Piazza, who was elected in April, voted against a measure to request a state waiver for drivers education fees. It would allow the district to charge up to $400 for the class each of the next five years.

That is to allow the district flexibility, and still doesn't cover the cost of the class, said Superintendent Charles McCormick. If the district didn't send the request, the fee would revert to $50, he said.

Other board members said the time to discuss the issue was when the board sets fees for the 2007-2008 school year, as this year's fees were already voted on.

The motion to pass the waiver was approved 6-1.

Board president Lisa Wiet said the drivers education fee was one of several raised in 2004 as part of a long-term financial plan that also included higher developer fees and a referendum.

"It's not something we can look at isolated, in my opinion," she said.

She said the district's rate is "still a bargain," and lower than private driving schools.

Piazza said she understood the concern about the timing, but was also concerned that the district could raise the fee even more in the future.