For many former New Glarus students, learning to drive meant climbing behind the wheel of a brand-new dealership car with a “Student Driver” sign on top, a teacher in the passenger seat and a healthy dose of nerves before heading out onto village streets. Today, driver’s education still exists, but it looks much different than it did just a generation ago.

Once considered as much a part of high school as physical education or home economics, driver’s education is no longer offered through the New Glarus School District. Instead, students now complete the state-required training through private driving schools, regional Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) programs and online instruction before taking behind-the-wheel lessons.

For many former students, the change marks the end of a familiar chapter in growing up in New Glarus.