County to provide driving license tests in Sullivan high schools

MONTICELLO, NY — High school students in Sullivan County will soon be able to take the written test to obtain a driver’s learner’s permit in school.

Sullivan County Clerk Neil Gilberg announced the initiative at a news conference at the government center on October 11. A member of the faculty from each high school in the county will be trained to administer the tests, and students will be able to take it at their convenience.

BOCES Superintendent Dr. Martin Handler said this would cut down on the amount of time that students will be away from the classroom. He said another advantage is that in a pilot program based on Long Island, students who took the test in the familiar surroundings of a classroom scored significantly better than those who took the test in an office of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Students taking the test in the classroom had a pass rate of 77 percent, while those at a DMV facility had a 66 percent rate.

Normally, a student must be 16 years of age before they are eligible to take the test, but in this program 15-year-old will be able to take the test and the results would still be valid when the student turns 16.

Students will still need to travel to the DMV to complete the process of obtaining a driver’s license.