Refunds available to eligible students

Superior's former owner and operator said about 40 students are to get money back.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CORTLAND -- The owner of the defunct Superior Driving School that suddenly closed earlier this month says her former students can get their money back, but there's a procedure to follow.
"I'll take the blame," Debra Huber, who operated the school for five years on state Route 5, said Friday. The Ohio Department of Public Safety revoked Huber's license when she failed to meet her continuing education requirement.
She estimates that some 40 students are eligible for repayment. Some pre-registered but didn't begin the course; some completed the classroom portion but not the driving part, and others hadn't completed the driving portion when the school closed.
Confused on procedure
How the students or their parents file a claim to get the money back is in dispute.
Huber explained that once students find another driving school, they contact the ODPS. The state agency will contact her bonding company to make the reimbursement.
Not so, said Julie Ehrhart, an ODPS public information officer.
Ehrhart explained that those who have a claim must send the bonding company a letter containing their name, address, telephone number, proof of payment to Superior Driving and proof of the lessons completed.
In the case of Superior Driving, Old Republic Securities Co. is listed as the bonding company and Jeffrey Dreves of Dreves Insurance Co. of Liberty as the agent.
Dreves said Friday he didn't know how the claim procedure worked but would find out. Later, there was no answer at his office telephone.
One of the difficulties, Huber said, is that neither the students nor their parents know the procedure. "These kids don't know what to do," she said.
Expressing dismay
"I didn't even know this was going to turn out like this," she added.
Huber had informed the state Oct. 12 that she was closing the school. She took the action after receiving a letter from the state in late August that proposed to revoke her training manager's license. The license requires completion of a refresher course every three years -- education that Huber failed to get.
Huber contends that she wanted to take a course in September -- but that Karen Kadar, ODPS driver training coordinator, said she was not permitted to do so. Huber maintained that Kadar had given her to the end of the year to meet the requirement. Kadar was out of her Columbus office Friday and could not be reached for comment.
"You have no idea how I feel about this," Huber said of students not being able to finish her school.
Huber said that since the state took her instructor's license, she can't teach driving. She had been an instructor for 13 years, the last five at her school.
"I enjoyed what I did," Huber said of working with the students.
yovich@vindy.com