Driver's Education

Getting a driver's license is an exciting time for our students. We are happy to provide the classroom and driving instruction right here on our high school campuses. To be eligible, students must be:

14 1/2 years old
currently attending a school in the Catawba County Schools district OR be home-schooled at a residence in the Catawba County Schools district OR attend a private school that located is in the Catawba County Schools district.

Where and when can I take classes?

Driver education courses, which includes both the required classroom portion and driving portion are available at each of our five high schools, as well as Challenger Early College High School. Students should sign up at the school where they choose to attend their classes. The cost is a $65 non-refundable fee.

If school is closed for inclement weather, then all driver education classes and behind the wheel sessions are cancelled. The driver education instructor will contact you to reschedule classes or behind the wheel sessions.

Coursework Schedules

Bandys

Class Dates and Times:

July 29-August 8, 2024	12:00 pm-3:45pm	Online
September 9-19, 2024	2:45pm-6:30pm	Online
October 7-17, 2024	5:00pm-8:45pm	Online
November 4-14, 2024	2:45pm-6:30pm	In Person
December 2-12, 2024	5:00pm-8:45pm	Online
January 6-16, 2025	2:45pm-6:30pm	Online
February 3-13, 2025	5:00pm-8:45pm	Online
March 3-13, 2025	2:45pm-6:30pm	In Person
March 31- April 10, 2025	5:00pm-8:45pm	Online
June 2-12, 2025	9:00am-12:45pm	Online

Eligibility:

Students must be 14.5 years of age on the first day of class to participate.

Signing Up:

If interested and eligible, you may sign up at the main office at Bandys. Each student will have to provide a Gmail email address, preferably your school email (ccsk12.net).

Cost:

The $65.00 Driver’s Education fee must be paid at the time of the signup. Checks should be made payable to: "Bandys High School."

Canvas:

After signing up at Bandys, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will send you an invite for the class through the email you submitted at the time of sign-ups. The email will be from NCDPI Drivers Education and will come within a week of the class starting. You will create an account in Canvas using that email. You can not take the course using the Canvas program you use for your regular school work.

Other Information:

This class is limited to 25 students with a 10 student waiting list. This class will be assigned as first come, first serve.

For Any Questions Or Concerns:

Contact: Doug McRee
doug_mcree@catawbaschools.net
p. 828-241-1471

Bunker Hill

Class Dates and Times:

September 3-13, 2024	4:00pm-6:00pm	Online
October 1-16, 2024	3:00pm-6:00pm	Hybrid
December 2-16, 2024	4:00pm-6:00pm	Online
February 3-23, 2025	4:00pm-6:00pm	Online
March 3-17, 2025	3:00pm-6:00pm	Hybrid
May 1-21, 2025	4:00pm-6:00pm	Online
June 9-13, 2025	9:00am-5:00pm	Online
July 14-18, 2025	9:00am-5:00pm	Online

** Hybrid class will be held online on the days students are out of school for teacher workdays.**

Eligibility:

Students must be 14.5 years of age on the first day of class to participate.

Signing Up:

If interested and eligible, you may sign up at the main office at Bunker Hill. Each student will have to provide a Gmail email address, preferably your school email (ccsk12.net).

Cost:

The $65.00 Driver’s Education fee must be paid at the time of the signup. Checks should be made payable to: "Bunker Hill High School."

Canvas:

After signing up at Bunker Hill the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will send you an invite for the class through the email you submitted at the time of sign-ups. The email will be from NCDPI Drivers Education and will come within a week of the class starting. You will create an account in Canvas using that email. You can not take the course using the Canvas program you use for your regular school work.

Other Information:

This class is limited to 25 students with a 10 student waiting list. This class will be assigned as first come, first serve.

For Any Questions Or Concerns:

Contact Todd Setzer
todd_setzer@catawbaschools.net
p. 828-241-3355

Challenger

Class Dates and Times:

September 4 - 17, 2024	6:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Online
December 2-13, 2024	6:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Online
March 24- April 4, 2025	6:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Online
June 2 - 13, 2025	4:00 pm – 7:00 pm	In Person

Eligibility:

Students must be 14.5 years of age on the first day of class to participate.

Signing Up:

If interested and eligible, you may sign up at the main office at Challenger on the CVCC campus. Each student will have to provide a Gmail email address, preferably your school email (ccsk12.net).

Cost:

The $65.00 Driver’s Education fee must be paid at the time of the signup. Checks should be made payable to: "Challenger Early College High School."

Canvas:

After signing up at Challenger the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will send you an invite for the class through the email you submitted at the time of sign-ups. The email will be from NCDPI Drivers Education and will come within a week of the class starting. You will create an account in Canvas using that email. You can not take the course using the Canvas program you use for your regular school work.

Other Information:

This class is limited to 25 students with a 10 student waiting list. This class will be assigned as first come, first serve.

For Any Questions Or Concerns:

Dennis Whitener
dennis_whitener@catawbaschools.net

Jennifer Dessecker
jennifer_dessecker@catawbaschools.net

p. 828-485-2980

Fred T Foard

Class Dates and Times:

July 8-19, 2024	10:00am-1:00pm	In Person
August 5-16, 2024	9:00am-12:00pm	Online
September 9-20, 2024	3:30pm-6:30pm	Online
October 1-16, 2024	2:45pm-5:45pm	In Person
November 4-18, 2024	3:30pm-6:30pm	Online
January 6-17, 2025	3:30pm-6:30pm	Online
February 3-18, 2025	3:30pm-6:30pm	Online
March 4-20, 2025	2:45 pm-5:45 pm	In Person
May 5-16, 2025	3:30pm-6:30pm	Online
June 2-13, 2025	9:00am-12:00pm	Online

Eligibility:

Students must be 14.5 years of age on the first day of class to participate.

Signing Up:

If interested and eligible, you may sign up at the main office at Fred T. Foard. Each student will have to provide a Gmail email address, preferably your school email (ccsk12.net).

Cost:

The $65.00 Driver’s Education fee must be paid at the time of the signup. Checks should be made payable to: "Fred T. Foard High School."

Canvas:

After signing up at Fred T. Foard the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will send you an invite for the class through the email you submitted at the time of sign-ups. The email will be from NCDPI Drivers Education and will come within a week of the class starting. You will create an account in Canvas using that email. You can not take the course using the Canvas program you use for your regular school work.

Other Information:

This class is limited to 25 students with a 10 student waiting list. This class will be assigned as first come, first serve.

For Any Questions Or Concerns:

Contact: Scott Williams
scott_williams@catawbaschools.net
p. 704-462-1496

Maiden

Class Dates and Times:

August 1-14, 2024	4:00pm-7:00pm	Online
October 7-14, 2024	6:00pm-9:00pm	Online
December 2-13, 2024	2:45pm-5:45pm	In Person
February 10-21, 2025	6:00pm-9:00pm	Online
April 7-18, 2025	6:00pm-9:00pm	Online
June 16-27, 2025	2:00pm-5:00pm	In Person

Eligibility:

Students must be 14.5 years of age on the first day of class to participate.

Signing Up:

If interested and eligible, you may sign up at the main office at Maiden High. Each student will have to provide a Gmail email address, preferably your school email (ccsk12.net).

Cost:

The $65.00 Driver’s Education fee must be paid at the time of the signup. Checks should be made payable to: "Maiden High School."

Canvas:

After signing up at Maiden High the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will send you an invite for the class through the email you submitted at the time of sign-ups. The email will be from NCDPI Drivers Education and will come within a week of the class starting. You will create an account in Canvas using that email. You can not take the course using the Canvas program you use for your regular school work.

Other Information:

This class is limited to 25 students with a 10 student waiting list. This class will be assigned as first come, first serve.

For Any Questions Or Concerns:

Contact: Mark Herman
mark_herman@catawbaschools.net
p. 828-428-8197

St Stephens

Class Dates and Times:

Dates	Times	Format	Instructor
August 5-9, 2024	8:00am-2:30pm	In-Person	TBD
Sept 3-17 ,2024	2:45-5:45pm	Hybrid, In-Person/On-Line	Woodruff
Oct 7-21, 2024	3:30-6:30pm	On-Line	TBD
Dec 2-16, 2024	3:30-6:30pm	On-Line	TBD
Feb 3-17, 2025	2:45-5:45pm	Hybrid, In-Person/On-Line	Woodruff
Mar 3-17, 2025	3:30-6:30pm	On-Line	TBD
May 5-19, 2025	3:30-6:30pm	On-Line	TBD
June 9-16, 2025	8:30am-2:00pm	In-Person

Eligibility:

Students must be 14.5 years of age on the first day of class to participate.

Signing Up:

If interested and eligible, you may sign up at the main office at St. Stephens High. Each student will have to provide a Gmail email address, preferably your school email (ccsk12.net).

Cost:

The $65.00 Driver’s Education fee must be paid at the time of the signup. Checks should be made payable to: "St. Stephens High School."

Canvas:

After signing up at St. Stephens High the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will send you an invite for the class through the email you submitted at the time of sign-ups. The email will be from NCDPI Drivers Education and will come within a week of the class starting. You will create an account in Canvas using that email. You can not take the course using the Canvas program you use for your regular school work.

Other Information:

This class is limited to 25 students with a 10 student waiting list. This class will be assigned as first come, first serve.

For Any Questions Or Concerns:

Contact:

Jim Woodruff at jim_woodruff@catawbaschools.net
Chantel Bedington at chantel_bedington@catawbaschools.net

p. 828-256-9841

How much does it cost?

The cost for the driver education course, which includes both the classroom portion and driving portion, costs $65. Checks may be made payable to the school where the student chooses to take the course and is non-refundable.

There are separate fees paid to the NC DMV when you apply for your driver's license. Please see the section called "What does NC require to get my driver's license?"

What does NC require to get my driver's license?

Students who are at least 14½ years old and are pursuing a high school diploma or GED can enroll in an approved driver education course provided through North Carolina high schools. A birth certificate or passport is required to enroll.
Driver education courses consist of two phases :
- A classroom portion, which involves 30 hours of instruction and an eye exam.
- A driving phase, which involves six hours behind the wheel
Upon successful completion of both phases, students receive a Driver's Education Certificate, which allows them to apply for a Level One Limited Learner Permit, the first level of North Carolina's graduated licensing process for drivers under age 18 (Details below).
NC's graduated licensing process is a phased approach to receiving your unrestricted driver's license. Details here.
- Level 1: Limited Learner Permit ($21.50 paid to DMV) - Between ages 15 and 17, you may go to the DMV (?) and apply for your "Limited Learner Permit" if you have completed the classroom and driving courses and received your eligibility certificate, passed the written, sign, and vision tests (where do you take these? the DMV?). Supervised driving is restricted to 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the first six months; thereafter, a supervising driver is still required.
- Level 2: "Limited Provisional License" ($21.50 paid to DMV) - At age 16, you may apply for your "limited provisional license" if you have had your "Limited Learner Permit" for at least 6 months and logged at least 60 hours of driving which you must turn in at the time of application.
- Level 3: "Full Provisional License" ($5.50 per year paid to DMV) - After 6 months of having your "limited provisional license" and having logged at least 12 hours of driving, you may apply for your "Full Provisional License" which allows for driving unsupervised at any time.

Who may attend a Catawba County Schools Driver Education Class?

Is the North Carolina Driver Education course required for age 18 or older persons?

What is the length of the Driver Education Course?

Can a CCS student attend a driver education class at another Catawba County School?

What items are required by the NC DMV to obtain a driving permit?

One document verifying age and identity
A Social Security card or one document proving they have a Social Security number
For U.S. citizens, one document proving residency
For non-U.S. citizens, one document issued by the U.S. government indicating legal presence
One document proving liability insurance coverage from a provider licensed to do business in North Carolina (not required for a learner's permit)

NC DMV Website "Getting a License or Learner Permit"

What is the process to get a driver learner permit and unrestricted driver's license?

To get a North Carolina learner permit, an individual must be at least 18 years old and apply in person at an N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles driver license office. (Individuals at least 18 years old may also apply for a driver license.)

Note: Teens 15 to 17 years old must apply for a limited learner permit as part of a graduated licensing process.

Qualified applicants must successfully complete:

required knowledge, road sign recognition, vision and driving tests and take the following required documents to an NCDMV driver license office.

Male instructor grades female driver during drivers education

Getting your driver's license is an exciting time and a momentous occasion in our students' lives. We are happy to provide the classroom and driving instruction right here on our high school campuses.

Registration is now open for driver education courses, available at each of our five high schools, as well as Challenger Early College. Students should sign up at the school where they choose to attend their classes. The cost is a $65 non-refundable fee.

To be eligible students must:

14 1/2 years old
Attend a school in the Catawba County Schools district OR be home-schooled at a residence in the Catawba County Schools district OR attend a private school that located is in the Catawba County Schools district.

As of January 30, 2022, the driver eligibility requirements and suspensions are reinstated in North Carolina. All school districts in the State of North Carolina shall resume normal procedures regarding driver eligibility issuance and revocation processes. Consequently, if a student does not pass 3 out of 4 classes this second semester (Spring 2022), then they will not be eligible to obtain a permit/driver's license OR they will lose their permit/driver's license if one has already been issued.

NC Driver's Handbook (English)	manual de manejo de carolina del norte
practice Test	nc dmv

👉 District Contact

Dwayne Finger

Coordinator, Facilities & Driver Education

p. 828-695-2615

p. 828-464-8333 Ext. 180336

Select a School

Elementary

Middle School

High School

Learning Centers

Bandys
High School

WelcomeFind out how we are making education better each day for our students and helping them to become college- and career ready.

Contact UsLooking for someone? Use our Staff Directory to search for your teachers, school leaders, and staff.

Our Curriculum FocusEngaging, inspiring, and empowering is more than a tagline. It's what we do. We spark curiosity and develop lifelong learners.

Specialized ServicesWe personalize learning for all our students including our Gifted Students (AIG), Exceptional Children (EC) , and our English Language Learners (ELL).

Our Athletics ProgramAthletics is an extension of our classrooms where our students continue to learn collaboration, character, passion, and persistence.

Teams & Schedules We are proud to offer over 20 men's & women's teams during all seasons. Many of our teams have been state and nationally recognized.

Student LifeEducation is so much more than just academics. Engaging students in activities that spark new interests helps develop the whole child.

Internships & ScholarshipsPreparing our students to be college- and career-ready means connecting students with internships, scholarships, and other resources.

Calendar & EventsCool feature alert! You can “subscribe” to our calendar and have our events automatically appear on your personal calendar.

See Grades & AttendanceDid you know you can see your child's grades and attendance online using Powerschool? Find out how!

Enroll Your Child Enrolling is easy and we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Welcome to the family!

In This Section

Driver's Education

Where and when can I take classes?

Coursework Schedules

Bandys

Bunker Hill

Challenger

Fred T Foard

Maiden

St Stephens

How much does it cost?

What does NC require to get my driver's license?

Who may attend a Catawba County Schools Driver Education Class?

Is the North Carolina Driver Education course required for age 18 or older persons?

What is the length of the Driver Education Course?

Can a CCS student attend a driver education class at another Catawba County School?

What items are required by the NC DMV to obtain a driving permit?

What is the process to get a driver learner permit and unrestricted driver's license?

👉 District Contact

Dwayne Finger

Navigation

IMPORTANT: School in Session with 2-Hour Delay, Thursday, October 3!