Ready Bus Line to assist in maiden venture

Don’t worry, 15-year-olds. You might’ve heard the school’s driver’s education program through Western Technical College was ending in a few weeks. It is, but thanks to the efforts of La Crescent-Hokah Community Education, you’ll still be right on schedule to take the class and get your learner’s permit as you’ve no doubt been waiting to do.

The undertaking by community education is in response to a gap in services left when Western Technical College, which provided behind-the-wheel instruction for La Crescent-Hokah students, as well as several other schools in the area, announced last year it would be ending its driver’s education program.

Citing the loss of money, WTC President Lee Rasch told the La Crosse Tribune last May that if the school were to continue offering the program, it would have to continue raising the cost, adding that its rates were already higher than private providers in the area.

That left La Crescent-Hokah wondering how it would proceed without the college’s assistance. The school got another offer for driver’s ed. services — from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore, Wis. — but ultimately decided it was a venture it wanted to take on itself, said Chuck Ericksen , community education director. It’s less of a monumental task than it sounds. Community education already does much of the paperwork for the program and maintains records of those who have passed through the course. In fact, the same instructor it worked with through WTC — Al Spande — has agreed to come on board.

Ericksen believes community education will be able to contain the cost of operating the program —which it’s now certified to run — and hold the price to near the same level it cost through the college, $355 per student, or even lower it. Driver’s education through WTC, which La Crescent-Hokah has used for the past eight years, wasn’t a money-making effort though, Ericksen said. Of the $355 it cost, community education received $15 per head. That stipend didn’t make up for the time it invested in secretarial work. By facilitating the entire program from within, he expects the class will provide some financial benefits.

“It is an expensive program to run with gas, insurance and cars to maintain,” Ericksen said, citing the cost to WTC.

It also allows community education to shape the curriculum and build in pieces it finds appropriate. That includes emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle safety, as La Crescent has been working to accommodate active walking and biking lifestyles.

At first, community education staff thought they could offer service to schools all around the Coulee Region that were left on their own after WTC canceled its program. However, they found out they can’t instruct students in Wisconsin schools because of regulation differences between the states. But students in the Houston and Caledonia school districts, for example, can sign up.

“A school district in Minnesota can’t go over to Wisconsin and teach Wisconsin students,” community education adult and youth program secretary Barb Bennett said. “A commercial driving school can go over there and teach driver’s ed., but we can’t.”

Enter Tom Ready and Ready Driving Academy, a new offshoot of his Ready Bus Line Co.

Ready saw an opportunity to provide a driver’s education service when WTC ended its, so it’s his intention to offer his as an option to Wisconsin students, simply because it’s easier to get started with a program in that state, and he already has another small business there.

“We already know how to run a bunch of fleets. We’re already into safety,” Ready said. “The story is very easy for us.”

The cost of purchasing another car and keeping it maintained isn’t a huge burden, and some bus drivers are already looking to pick up a few more hours. Being a driver’s ed. instructor could fulfill that wish. He sees the two businesses as intertwined.

“I can help make safer drivers out there when our school buses are hauling little kids around,” he said.

So because Ready is operating only in Wisconsin, and community education caters to just Minnesota, the two aren’t competitors, and actually, Ready plans to assist community education with its efforts.

“They’re going to hire the instructor, and I believe we’ll provide the car and handle some of the logistics,” Ready said. “They’ll start with them in the classroom and we’ll get them out in the car. It’s a good marriage for the both of us.”

Ready hopes to hire six to eight more people to serve the 600 to 1,000 kids he’s hoping for. His goal is for the first class to begin mid-June.

Ericksen said the community education program will begin in June once students are out of school, so there won’t be any disruption in service.

“To families and kids, it’s not going to look any different,” Bennett said.

Much of that is due to the instructor, Spande. Community education has been very pleased with WTC service because of Spande’s effort, Ericksen said.

“He has a relationship with every part of that (high school) building,” Bennett said.