DRIVER EDUCATION

Driver Education is an extremely valuable experience.  The course is New York State regulated.  The program is run by Our Savior New American School, under the guidelines of New York State.  We are in charge of your registration, attendance, grades, driving confirmation, completion certificates, etc. The school’s main office hours are Monday – Friday from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.  The office will be CLOSED on Saturday & Sunday.  Please do not come in or call over the weekend. Questions can be answered by emailing: driver.education@osnas.org

Students will be taught in the classroom and, during COVID regulations, behind the wheel by a parent/legal guardian.  The state mandates that each student complete 24 hours of classroom lecture training, and 24 hours of in-car training, which consists of 6 hours of behind the wheel time and 18 hours of observation.  This portion will need to be completed by the parent/guardian of the student during COVID regulations, then signed off at the end of the term.  At the successful completion of a Driver Education course, students will be able to receive their senior driver’s license at the age of 17 (without Driver Education, a senior license will not be issued until 18 years old).  A student will also receive a 10% discount on insurance usually until 21 years of age.

At the successful completion of a Driver Education course (that is, when all driving time, lecture time, written assignments, and the textbook are completed and turned in), students will be able to receive their senior drivers’ license at the age of 17 (without Driver Education a senior license will not be issued until 18 years old). A student will also receive a 10% discount on insurance (usually until the time the student is 21 years old). Students will receive a MV-285 completion certificate providing proof to the DMV and your insurance company that you have completed a NYS approved Driver Education Course. The MV-285 will be handed out the last day of class. NYS prohibits us from mailing these certificates. If any certificates are lost call 631-588-2757. A fee will be charged for duplicate certificates. Please allow 1-6 weeks to receive your duplicate certificate.

Upon successful completion of the course (that is, when all driving time is complete, all lecture time is complete, all written assignments are turned in, and your textbook is returned) you will receive a MV-285 completion certificate.  This certificate is proof to the DMV and your insurance company that you have completed a NYS approved Driver Education Course.  The MV-285 will be handed out on the last day of class after completion of the final exam.   New York State prohibits us from mailing these certificates.

All students are dropped off and picked up at Our Savior New American School.  We are not permitted to pick up or drop off students at their home or any other location other than the school. During the fall and the spring sessions the course runs for 16 weeks.  During COVID regulations, students will meet each week for 1.5 hours of lecture time.  During the summer session the classes are condensed to 6 weeks, with classes meeting 3 times a week, 1.5 hours each day during the pandemic. You will need to bring a notebook, a pen or pencil, your textbook (this will be given out the first day of class), and your learner’s permit.You will need to bring to class a notebook, pen or pencil, your textbook (given the first day of class), and your learner’s permit.

We do not guarantee that friends can be placed in the same classroom but will make every effort to accommodate your wishes if the applications are turned in at the same time and you indicate on the application your desires.

Due to the strict hour requirement set by New York State, any class that is missed MUST be made up.  It is strongly suggested that no more than 2 classes are missed during a session as it is too difficult to make up classes with this many absences.  It is the student’s responsibility to speak directly to their lecture instructor to schedule a make-up time.  It is not necessary to call the school regarding an absence.  There will be a charge of $25 for every lecture class that a student has to make up, after the second lecture class missed.  This fee is payable to the student’s lecture teacher.  Any additional necessary absences will be handled on an individual basis.

No.  You can schedule your road test online at the DMV website (www.nysdmv.com).  If you wish to have a private lesson or to have one of the driving instructors take you to your road test, you can schedule that directly through Jim’s Cornerstone Driving School at (631) 471-7373 for an additional fee.You will need to be in a legally registered, insured car; and of course you’ll need your learner’s permit. You will also need to bring your MV-285 Completion Certificate. For those who do not have a MV-285, you will need your 5 Hours (Pre-Licensing) Certificate and MV-262 (Certification of 50 hours of Supervised Driving).

A junior license is issued to any student who has passed their road test and is either under age 17 and took a Driver Education Course or is 18 and has not taken a Driver Education Course.  A junior license allows a student to drive directly to and from work (with a letter from the employer stating the student’s name and work hours), to Driver Education classes and to college (NOT to high school).