Houston driving school shuts down, leaving students searching for answers

***We are now offering free driving lessons to those students affected by this closing. Get the details here!!!***

Students and parents were left baffled and scrambling for answers after a driving school in Humble, Texas, suddenly shut down, and Coastline is here to help. 

The teenagers were trying to get their driver's license journey started, but now they find themselves trying to figure out what to do next.

According to KPRC 2, families had paid upfront for driver's education. However, when they showed up for the classes, the doors to the driving school were locked and the school's website was gone!

Katie Baker, whose son was attending Stay Safe Driving School, talked with KPRC 2 and said, “You know, my son turned 16 in November and he still doesn’t have his license." Baker said they signed their son up for classes at Stay Safe last August and then out of the blue, the business shut down and no communication from them.

“We had already scheduled his drives all the way through March and then all of a sudden, I notice all of his classes were canceled,” said Baker.

Baker is not the only one dealing with these issues, as KPRC 2 stated several parents have posted about it on Facebook, as well as reaching out to KPRC 2 Investigates with the same concerns.

Refunds Possible

While the entire situation has been messy, it looks like families are starting to get some kind of answers. The State Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) regulates driving schools in Texas. They are required to keep student records and make them available for inspection. KPRC 2 spoke with a TDLR representative, who said they are aware of the school closing and they are reviewing student records to verify classroom and driving hours.

The TDLR representative also said, “TDLR will also use the records to determine the number of students affected by the closure and the amount of any prorated refunds they may receive.” On their website, it states Stay Safe Driving School permanently closed its doors on February 27, 2022.

For instances like this, all driving schools in the state of Texas are required to keep a bond on file with the state so it can reimburse customers. If you are a parent and need to reach out to TDLR, you can fill out a form on the TDLR website.

We have seen the aftermath of other schools closing without notice in Texas, and it can take months for frustrated families to get refunds.

Some Relief In The Meantime

Coastline Academy empathizes with those parents and students left in such a frustrating situation.

As instructors, staff and parents, we understand the inconvenience and want to extend a hand to help the students and families affected. Coastline Academy would like to offer the previous Stay Safe students free driving lessons if they wish to continue with professional driving lessons.

Parents can sign up for the free driving lessons by going to this page, and see everything that Coastline offers. Please reach out to Coastline by emailing hello@coastlineacademy.com or calling 1-800-489-1896, especially if driving lessons have been partially completed with Stay Safe Driving School, as we will need to review what records are available and whether those past lessons can count towards state requirements for licensing.

To make this process run more smoothly, we would welcome communication from the owner of Stay Safe Driving School. We can work with you to get the documentation needed to make this as easy as possible on the affected families. You can reach us by emailing hello@coastlineacademy.com or calling 1-800-489-1896.

Coastline is proud to be a member of the Houston and DFW communities and hopes that this can help us give back to the community that has welcomed us with open arms.