Rogers High School hosts commercial driver license training
TOLEDO – Toledo Public Schools students will be able to graduate from high school having already earned a commercial driver license (CDL) under a program that started this fall.
Three students are in the inaugural CDL class, which meets at Rogers High School. The plan is to offer one to two classes a semester, with up to five students in each class.
Students from the inaugural session, along with TPS staff and board members, and Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority representatives, participated in a press conference and demonstration Tuesday at the high school.
“There’s a lot of jobs available for them,” said Jeff Cole, a CDL instructor for TPS.
The program is the newest of several Career Technology programs within the district, a direction that the board of education and Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant have intentionally focused on in recent years. This particular idea came about during conversations between board members and administrators, which included how to address their own forecasted need for school bus drivers and CDL-qualified personnel.
“The CDL program is a notable example of Dr. Durant coming up with innovative ideas,” said Randall Parker III, TPS board president.
“I am very, very excited about this program,” added Bob Vasquez, TPS board vice president.
Any TPS student can apply to attend any of the Career Technology programs within the district. The process starts with the student making an inquiry at their school counselor’s office.
CDL may not be for everyone, but it is for somebody.
Dr. Romules Durant
“I want to try everything,” Rogers senior Ma’Niah Armour, one of the students, said about her interest in earning a CDL and what she could do with the credential. “Even if I do want to change my career path, it’s something I can fall back on.”
Ohio residents who are at least age 18, have a valid Ohio drivers license and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents can apply for a CDL, according to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website.
It will take 16 weeks or roughly one semester to compete the training, a total of 200 hours with 56 hours in the classroom and 144 hours of driving-related training. After that comes the tests, which Cole said can take a couple of times for a participant to pass.
TPS has two semi-tractors and two trailers for instructional use. A “practice pad” near Rogers High School was designed to accommodate the practical lessons in both CDL and bus driving.
“Our focus is going to be on safe driving,” Cole said.
According to remarks at the press conference, a CDL credential is useful not only to drivers, but for many of the support staff at the agencies and companies they work for.
TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski explained that about half of the 300 employees within the Toledo-area public transportation agency have CDL credentials. That list includes those who are managers, mechanics and supervisors.
“It really is a solid career, long term,” she said.
