Joe Leogrande sighed heavily as he listened to the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education list off the reasons it won't fund a driver's education program next school year.

Over the last several months, Leogrande and other community members have fought hard to bring the course back into the district. Earlier this year Leogrande presented the board with a petition filled with more than 1,000 signatures gathered from local residents, students, police and fire officials who supported the course.

While school board members said they respected the community's efforts, they do not think there is a enough money in the district to support the program.

"I just can't see how we can afford it," board member Charles Beck said. "I can't support a district driver's ed program when we are looking into cutting teachers and programs we have already started."

The school district stopped offering the course 11 years ago due to similar budget constraints. A typical driver's education program consists of 30 hours of in-class training and six hours of vehicle training. In order to offer the course, the district must hire a certified classroom teacher and driving instructor. Additional costs would include vehicles and maintenance, bringing the total coast of a course to about $15,000.

"$15,000 is just a drop in the bucket," Leogrande said. "With all of the other money the district spends, this is a small amount to pay for a program that would serve 50 to 60 kids."

Though the school board has opted not to support an in-house program, they have agreed to contact the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES to see if they would contract with a company that could provide a class that students could pay for. The course would be offered year round and would cost each student anywhere from $350 to $450.

"BOCES has already shown an openness to offering this program," district superintendent John Plume said. " There is a sizable number of people interested and the program could be beneficial."

Even though the district may not be offering a course, board members are interested in developing a program that addresses overall driver safety. Board member Judy Freeman suggested the board look into developing a partnership with the local police department to get information out to students and parents about driver safety.

Other suggestions included running studies and pulling together as a community to implement programs that may not necessarily cost extra money.

"I am hopeful that the community can get together to talk about the bigger issue," board member Rosemary Oaks-Lee said. "I would like us all to be able to focus on young driver's safety as a whole."

As for Leogrande, he does not feel offering one course through BOCES is enough, and he does not think that community organizations can do the same work a professional driving instructor can do. Leogrande plans to keep fighting for driver's education, for as long as it takes to get the program reinstated.

"This is really going to put a lot of kids out," Leogrande said. "Driver's ed should be offered through the school and through BOCES. The board really is making a bad mistake."

In other news:

A referendum to borrow $200,000 to purchase a new bus and two new vans will appear on the district's May 17 election ballot.

The purchase of the new vehicles will continue the district's vehicle replacement program. The 65-passenger bus is estimated to coast $80,000, and the two new 7-person vans are estimated to coast $40,000.

The referendum will also propose the purchase of a tractor and a maintenance truck that are also estimated at $80,000.

"It is important to maintain our fleet of buses," board president Mike Stearns said.

"We are always looking to refresh our core equipment, and it helps us save money in the maintenance area."

Staff writer Ashley Lipsky can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235 or at ashley.lipsky@lee.net