Governor Perdue Announces Additional Grants for Teen Driver Training

Driver Education Commission program enables over 17,000 students access to driver training at school

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that 18 additional Georgia public high schools will receive grants totaling $1,915,500 to make driver education more accessible, effective and affordable throughout the state. Earlier this month, $2,184,600 was awarded to 17 public high schools and 110 Georgia libraries to create or expand driver education efforts in their communities.  More than 17,500 Georgia students will now have access to driver training at public high schools.  Many more will be able to access virtual driver training via their local community libraries.

“We need to do everything we can to keep our young drivers safe,” said Governor Perdue.  “These grants help make driver education more accessible and affordable for Georgians that are learning how to drive.”

Phase II of the Georgia Driver Education Commission grant program provides an additional 18 public high schools funding to educate and train young beginning drivers. Grantees throughout the state are planning a variety of exciting initiatives to establish or improve teen driving education in their communities.

The schools selected include:

Effingham County High School

Charlton County High School

Clarke County High School

Coffee County Board of Education

Dade County High School

Forsyth County High School

Gilmer County Schools

Gordon Lee High School

Harris County High School

Jenkins County School System

Jones County High School

Lumpkin County High School

Pickens County High School

Rabun County High School

South Effingham High School

Tattnall County High School

White County High School

Webster County Board of Education

Grant Administration

The Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) administers the grant application and selection process.  A grant review committee established a point system for the evaluation of applications.  Applicants must demonstrate effective ways to meet high school students’ needs and motivation to learn and subsequently drive safely through the offering and managing of the Department of Driver Services (DDS) approved driver training methods.

Schools, school districts, or multiple schools are allowed to submit a joint or single grant application. Public schools are allowed to propose partnerships with one another, as well as to propose partnerships with for-profit and not-for-profit driver training schools to offer and manage DDS approved driver training methods.

For more information on Georgia teen driver education, please visit www.georgiateendrivereducation.com.