The North Kitsap School District is doing an awful lot of belt-tightening lately. State and federal funding is dwindling, and what little money the district does receive comes with so many strings that choice is taken away from the district as to how to use the money.

The latest casualty of the raging financial crunch just might be one that will hit the streets sooner than later. The Traffic Safety Education task force, assembled to review the district’s TSE program, has recommended the district discontinue the program as soon as next year.

The recommendation came at the board’s regular meeting Thursday night. The final decision is slated for the April 10 board meeting at 7 p.m. at the NKSD offices on Caldart Street.

Cutting through edu-speak, the TSE is, basically, driver’s education. Every licensed driver who spent a few hours after school or, in some cases, spent a majority of their summer vacation, in driver’s education can remember the value of the course.

Driver’s education forces teenagers to study driving safety as a regular school subject. It teaches that reckless driving — like speeding and talking on the cell phone while driving — are dangerous, stupid activities that could earn them a one-way ticket to the emergency room.

It teaches driving techniques that, once learned, make sense. But someone has to be there to teach.

Remember “SMOG” for lane changes? “Signal, check your mirror, look over your shoulder, and go?” It’s taught in driver’s training classes nationwide and comes in handy every day.

Students who go through driver’s training earn an appreciation for the little things, like red lights, traffic signs and those silly old speed limits.

Parents should assume a certain amount of responsibility for teaching their children to drive, it’s true. But 15 minutes on the road will undoubtedly enforce that some of the parent-aged drivers aren’t exactly, well, responsible. We certainly don’t want them passing on their driving techniques to their children.

Yes, learning to drive is a privilege, not a right, and it shouldn’t take the place of learning core curriculum designed to meet state standards. And yes, someone has to foot the bill. And the parents who enroll their children in the driver’s training course do that.

This year parents pay nearly $335 per student to ensure their students are being taught safe driving practices.

Dianna Palermo, a concerned parent who spoke out at the board meeting, adamantly defended the program.

“In some cases it (TSE) is the first thing the school has offered to them that is relevant learning, driving is very important to them,” Palmero said. “It’s a connection between the school, between something the students really want and it gives us all a link to how they’re growing up.”

The single largest contributing factor to a quality education, in our opinion, is the relevance of what the students are learning in application to the real world.

Sadly, many adults don’t analyze poetry or dissect a frog every day.

But we likely drive every day.

Teachers who teach the program are still willing to teach the program. In these days of education where teachers are forced to continuously prove — and improve — their skills, any teacher who is willing to teach an “extra” activity like driver’s training should be put on a pedestal for all to admire.

Sometimes, in times of financial crisis, number-crunching takes the place of common sense. Financial crisis dictates cuts have to be made.

For common sense’s sake — and for safety’s sake — the cuts should not be made in driver’s education.