A standing item at all Greene County School Board meetings is student driving permits. 

Jefferson Police Chief Mark Clouse says students who are not yet eligible for their full driver’s license, who are at least 14 years old, can apply for a school permit that allows them to drive to and from home, school and extracurricular activities, along with transportation to and from their job if they have one. However, he urges anyone who is thinking about getting a permit, or who has recently received one, to make sure they go over all of the rules and regulations that go along with that privilege. 

Chief Clouse points out that their department sees a handful of violations every year. 

“It usually taking a buddy home across town, or sometimes not even close to a school hour and they’re out driving just because maybe mom and dad don’t care, I don’t know the real issue. But, please go over those (rules) and go over them with your child to make sure that they have a clear understanding of those and what they need to do to follow them.”  

The permits must be submitted to the Greene County School Board for final approval, as well as returned to the Iowa Department of Transportation office in the Greene County Treasurer’s Office in Jefferson to be issued their permit. According to the DOT, the first violation can result in the suspension of the permit for three months, as well as delaying the student for three months from getting their full driver’s license.