DRIVERS EDUCATION
Course Requirements
You are required to successfully complete 30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind the wheel training.
Classroom dates are established for each semester and for the summer, as available based on the Rockingham County Schools’ budget. Dates and times are listed on the school website and on the class registration forms available in the office. Announcements are also made on the intercom to remind students to register prior to the beginning of each new class.
Behind the wheel training is scheduled based on the student’s age. When it is your turn to drive, a driving instructor will call you. It is to your advantage to list the most reliable phone numbers on your class registration form, so that the instructor can reach you to arrange your time to drive.
Turn in a registration form for the classroom part of driver’s education to tentatively reserve a spot in the class. Registration forms are available in the main office or on the McMichael High School website. Forms should be returned to the main office or may be faxed to 336-427-5776 or emailed to fsparks@rock.k12.nc.us . If you have questions, contact one of the driver education instructors.
Pay a $25 fee to take the class on the first day of the class but no later than the third day of class. This is a non-refundable payment. This fee is not accepted from the student until the first day of the class. YOU MAY NOT turn in payment when returning the registration form to the main office. If the fee is not paid by the third day, you will be dropped from the class. If you do not pass the class or if you are dismissed from the class due to absences and/or disciplinary action, you will be required to pay the fee to enroll in a new class.
Documentation due on the first day of class
To enroll in the class, students must bring the ORIGINALS (not copies) of these documents on the first day of class:
- Social Security Card. This must be the original copy of your Social Security card. If you have lost your card, you may go to the Social Security office to apply for a new card. They will give you a certified document to verify your correct Social Security number and to provide proof that you have applied for a new card.
- Certified Birth Certificate issued by the county. This must be the original document with a raised seal (it may NOT be the Mother’s Copy or one issued by a hospital). If you do not have a certified birth certificate, you can obtain one from the Registrar of Deeds Office in the North Carolina county in which you were born.
- Cash or a check or money order payable to McMichael High School for the class fee payment ($25). Payment of the fee is not accepted until the first day of the class and is required on or before the third day of class to maintain enrollment. Students will receive a Rockingham County Schools receipt for this payment.
Driver’s Education Class Attendance
If a student accumulates more than 4 hours of absences from the driver’s education class for discipline or any other reason, the student will be dropped from the class. Fees for that class will not be refunded.
Absences from the driver’s education class for extracurricular school activities (ex. athletics, band, chorus, clubs, etc.) will be treated like any other absences toward dismissal from the class.
Graduated License
North Carolina has adopted this program to help students gain driving experience gradually. Once you obtain a learners permit, you must keep it for 12 months, along with a driving log, regardless of when you turn 16. It is to your advantage to complete the Drivers Education program in the correct time frame with regard to your date of birth.
Academic Eligibility
Once you obtain a permit or license, you must pass 3 out of 4 subjects each semester in order to keep you license or permit. If your license is suspended for academic ineligibility, you cannot reapply for a license until the end of the following semester, providing you have passed 3 out of 4 subjects in that semester. When you become academically eligible to reinstate your license, your parent will need come to the school to sign a new Certificate of Eligibility. When you take that certificate to the Department of Motor Vehicles, they will charge the regular license fee plus a fine for reinstatement.
Notification
The school will notify the Division of Motor Vehicles if the student exhibits conduct that subjects him/her to disciplinary action as defined by G.S. 20-11(n). The license or permit may be revoked under these circumstances:
1. The possession or sale of alcoholic beverage or an illegal substance on school property
2. The possession or use on school property of a weapon or firearm that resulted in disciplinary action or that could have resulted in disciplinary action if the conduct had occurred in the public school.
3. The physical assault on a teacher or other school personnel.
What to take to DMV to apply for a permit or license:
- The student’s original birth certificate
- The student’s original Social Security card.
- The original copy of the Driver’s Education Certificate which certifies the student has completed drivers training at the school. The Driver’s Ed teacher issues this form to the student on the final day of driving instruction.
- Your parent or legal guardian must come to the school to sign and receive the Driver Eligibility Form, which is required at DMV. The form gives the school consent to release academic and disciplinary information about students to DMV. You must have passed three out of four classes for the previous semester to receive the form. When the parent comes to sign the form, they must bring their own ID and the student’s birth certificate, social security card and Driver’s Education Certificate. The secretaries in the main office are available to issue this document during school office hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the school year).
