REGULATORY

  On July 29, 1982, the Board of Education approved the
  guidelines for charging a fee for the laboratory phase of
  driver education.  The charging of a fee shall be optional
  for local school boards and has no effect on the fee charged
  for the summer school driver education program (which
  continues to be authorized without prior approval from the
  Department of Education).  Such fees shall not be cause for
  a prorata reduction in Basic Aid.

  To be eligible to charge a fee during the regular school
  term, the division must meet the following criteria:

           1.   The fee charged plus the per pupil amount from
                State basic aid for driver education shall not
                exceed the actual average per pupil cost.

           2.   The fee shall be for the laboratory (behind-the-wheel)
                phase of the program only.

           3.   Request for fee approval will be made to the
                Department of Education (Accounting and Finance)
                and must be accompanied by a cost analysis for the
                laboratory (behind-the-wheel) phase of the
                program,  based on the previous year's school term
                program and financial data.  The following
                expenditure, revenue, and program information will
                be utilized in the analysis of a fee request:

                a.   Expenditures for vehicles to include
                     maintenance, insurance, gasoline, and rental,
                     lease or purchase of vehicles.

                b.   Expenditures for personnel.

                c.   Expenditures for equipment and supplies.

                d.   Reimbursement per student completing the
                     laboratory phase of driver education included
                     as a part of the basic aid funding (as
                     computed by the Department of Education).

                e.   Students completing the laboratory phase of
                     driver education.

           4.   Only fees approved by the Board of Education may
                be collected for the laboratory phase of driver
                education (Item 140.C.2.e(1) of the 1997
                Appropriations Act).

  Applications for approval to charge a fee shall be submitted
  to Accounting and Finance, utilizing the attached
  application form.  A memo will be sent to each applicable
  locality after the per pupil reimbursement from State basic
  aid has been calculated.

  If you have any questions and/or concerns pertaining to this
  subject, please contact Mr. L. M. Morgan, Jr., Director of
  Accounting and Finance on (804) 225-2040.


  RTL/da

  Attachment:   A hard copy of this memo and its attachment
                will be sent to the superintendent's office.

  AUTHORITY: Item 140, Chapter 924, 1997 Acts of Assembly