Pennsylvania Statutes Title 24 P.S. Education § 15-1519. Teaching of safe driving of motor vehicles

(a) Any school district may provide for the teaching of safe driving of motor vehicles in the elementary and secondary schools of the district or in the secondary schools only, in accordance with the standardized program established by the Department of Public Instruction.  1 In the case of pupils under the age of sixteen (16) years, such instruction shall be limited to class room instruction by those who shall possess the qualifications prescribed by the State Board of Education. In the case of pupils of the age of sixteen (16) years and over, the instruction may include practical instruction in the operation of motor vehicles on the public highways, or other places, selected by the board of school directors or by the principal of the school where the instruction is given.

(b) The board of school directors may employ and fix the compensation of qualified persons to teach the practical operation of motor vehicles on the highways, or elsewhere, who shall possess the qualifications prescribed by the State Board of Education. Teacher aides may be used in the practice driving phase of the standardized program in the public schools of the Commonwealth. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, upon the request of the local chief school administrator for employment of a teacher aide, provide for an oral examination, a written theoretical examination and a practical examination. In addition, the applicant shall possess the following qualifications: (1) satisfactory completion of the examination provided by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, (2) possess a high school diploma, (3) have a motor vehicle operator's record free of violation of “The Vehicle Code” and other traffic laws and free of accidents, (4) completed a three-credit course in driver education, (5) shall complete an additional nine hours of credit in General and Traffic Safety Education within a three year period of employment, and (6) shall be eligible according to the provisions in section 1209 of the “Public School Code of 1949.”  2 The board of school directors may purchase, rent or hire motor vehicles for such instruction and shall procure or require automobile liability insurance in such amounts as the board of school directors shall prescribe covering vehicles owned or operated pursuant to this section. Such insurance shall be for the public liability of the owner of the vehicle, when the owner is some one other than the school district, the employe of the school district, the employe of the owner and the pupil operating the vehicle, against claims for damages, for injuries to person or property. No liability shall attach to any individual, school director, superintendent, teacher or other school authority by reason of teaching safe driving, except that which is protected by the automobile liability insurance policies which are procured by reason of the authority granted herein.

(b.1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or any other law, except for subsection (b)(6) and section 111,  3 a person who possesses the qualifications of a teacher or a director under section 4(2) of the act of January 18, 1952 (1951 P.L. 2128, No. 605),  4 referred to as the Private Driver Education or Training School Act, shall not be required to meet the certification requirements under Article XII  5 in order to be permitted to provide classroom instruction under this section, provided that the employing school district has posted the vacant position for a minimum of ten (10) days on the school entity's publicly available Internet website and no qualified candidate certified by the Department of Education to teach driver and safety education is available to fill the position.

(c) The board of school directors may appropriate and expend money of the school district for the purpose of paying the compensation of the instructors and to purchase, rent or hire motor vehicles, automobile liability insurance and to maintain and repair the same and to purchase fuel, lubricants, parts and accessories therefor.