20-7-503. District establishment of traffic education program. (1) The trustees of any district operating a junior high school or high school may establish and maintain a traffic education course. The traffic education course shall be:

(a) for students who are 15 years old or older or will have reached their 15th birthday within 6 months of the course completion;

(b) taught by a teacher of traffic education;

(c) conducted in accordance with the basic course requirements established by the superintendent of public instruction; and

(d) taught during regular school hours, after regular school hours, on Saturdays, or as a summer school course, at the option of the trustees.

(2) (a) A school district may offer the classroom portion of a traffic education course through an online or distance learning platform.

(b) When a student completes the classroom portion of a traffic education course pursuant to subsection (2)(a), the student is authorized to take the hands-on driving portion of the traffic education course under the instruction of the student's parent or guardian.