Getting your driving permit is a rite of passage for 14-year-olds and the Perry Community School District will soon make it easier to take the test. 

At the most recent Perry School Board meeting a memorandum of understanding was approved between the district and the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Motor Vehicle Division to offer the Skip The Trip Program. Superintendent Clark Wicks explains what the program does.

“They are allowing schools to set up the whole landscape for kids to come in and take their permit test. From there we will have a couple people that will get their proper training, they will be organizing things and help kids out.”

Wicks tells Raccoon Valley Radio that by allowing students to take their permit test right inside the school building it will cut down on the difficulties surrounding scheduling a time to get to a DOT location and taking the test.

“If we weren’t providing this, it’s extremely difficult to have every family try to find an appointment, get to the appointment, take off work so it’s a big inconvenience, let’s face it. So, this is providing a great service and it’s another reason that Perry Schools are as great as they are.”

Wicks says the two staff who will be organizing the program are Tara Webb and Ryan Burger.