Houston-area driver’s education company, SafeWay Driving, has plans to open seven new locations within Cy-Fair ISD by end of 2017. SafeWay Vice President Ann Littmann said the company wants to expand into CFISD because of the large student population it serves. “It is such a huge area and there is a need to take driver training more seriously,” she said. “We are looking to make a difference to ensure students arrive back to school safely.” SafeWay, which already operates out of Cypress Ranch High School, has plans to add two more locations at Cy-Fair and Cypress Woods high schools before 2017. In 2017, the company plans to expand to Cypress Creek, Cypress Falls, Cypress Lakes, Cypress Ridge and Cypress Springs high schools. Students enrolled in SafeWay classes begin with lessons that can be taken online. Classes traditionally taught in a classroom can now be taken online through the same devices students are already using for school coursework and homework, Littmann said. The in-person portion of training will take place at the CFISD high schools. SafeWay instructors meet with students on site to conduct the actual driving lesson. Many of the instructors are past or present educators, Littmann said. “They are oftentimes teachers or coaches or retired educators or bus drivers still looking to make a positive impact in the community,” she said. SafeWay franchisees must live in the specific district where the high schools are located. Although SafeWay franchises are partnered with schools in the enrollment of students into their driver’s ed program, the program itself is not run through the school. SafeWay is also exploring regional locations that could service multiple schools at once, Littman said. “We want to partner with high schools so they can help students understand the importance of taking [driving] seriously,” she said. “There are key times of the year this is emphasized—homecoming and prom—but we want to make sure that students understand the importance of driving all year long.”