Driver Education
Behind-The-Wheel Registration Announcement
The registration process for Behind the Wheel (BTW) has been revised. Only students currently enrolled in Driver Education Classroom will be allowed to register for BTW. Each semester the school will accept 36 students for BTW instruction. If time permits, and more students can be accommodated, the school may open registration for a limited number of students.
The Driver Education program at Elmwood Park High School consists of both classroom instruction and supervised behind-the-wheel (BTW) instruction. The program is run by the school's Athletic Office.
State law requires all driver education students to pass 30 hours of classroom instruction. For EPHS students, that means passing Driver Education Classroom with a 60 percent and being in the classroom for at least 30 hours.
In addition, state law requires all driver education students to pass six hours of supervised BTW instruction and 12 hours of supervised instructional observation. Successfully completing Behind the Wheel will satisfy those requirements.
Obtaining Your Driver's License
You must have had your permit for nine months and be 16 years old.
Two weeks before you go to your Illinois Secretary of State facility, please check this link to see what you need to bring to your appointment. If you are not approved, contact the EPHS Athletic Office immediately at 708-583-5468.
Make sure you bring your signed 50 hours practice log with you to the SOS.
Make sure you check the Illinois Secretary of State's document requirements to obtain a driver's license/state ID card.
To Enroll in a Driver Education Course
According to the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/27-24.2), a student must be enrolled in high school and receive a passing grade in at least eight courses during the previous two semesters prior to enrolling in a driver education course.
Please note that the registration process for BTW has been revised. Only students currently enrolled in Driver Education Classroom will be allowed to register for BTW. Each semester the school will accept 36 students for BTW instruction. If time permits, and more students can be accommodated, the school may open registration for a limited number of students.
As required by state law, both the classroom and BTW portions of a public school district's driver education curriculum must be open to students within the district who don't attend a public school. In the case of District 401, this means non-EPHS students who want to take driver education at the high school must be Elmwood Park residents.
Topics Covered in Driver Education
In our driver education courses, students develop the knowledge, attitudes, habits and skills necessary for the safe operation of motor vehicles. Topics include distracted driving as a major traffic safety issue.
In addition, students receive instruction on the special hazards existing at — and the required safety and driving precautions that must be observed at — emergency situations, highway construction and maintenance zones, and railroad crossings and approaches.
Since the 2017-18 school year, state law has also required instruction concerning law enforcement procedures for traffic stops, including a demonstration of the proper actions to be taken during a traffic stop and appropriate interactions with law enforcement.