NCOESC receives $1.5M for drivers education

TIFFIN — North Central Ohio Educational Service Center has been selected as the recipient of a Drive to Succeed grant from Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jim Tressel. Brenda Luhring, superintendent/CEO of NCOESC, said NCOESC was one of four educational service centers in the state to receive the grant. The center will receive $1.5 million over two years to provide driver education scholarships to students, she said. Eligibility will be based on a rubric involving financial need, GPA, and some type of school recommendation, Luhring said. "We haven't worked out every single detail yet," she said. Students who qualify to receive a scholarship likely will be given a voucher, which will be paid out to the driver's education school upon completion of the program, Luhring said. According to governor.ohio.gov, the Drive to Succeed program was launched "to support teenage drivers whose families cannot otherwise afford the cost of a driving school." Students receive funds to "cover the fees for the 24 hours of classroom education and eight hours of behind-the-wheel training required to get a license," the website states. In a press release, Dr. Bryan Drost, executive director of instructional innovation at NCOESC, said, "This investment represents an exciting opportunity to empower students and strengthen workforce readiness in our communities." The Drive to Succeed funding is the second substantial grant received by NCOESC in October. The center also was awarded $936,717 from the state of Ohio to support the establishment of career pathway networks in middle schools. "This is really exciting for NCOESC," Luhring said.