A New Driving School Has Opened Up In Lakeside

Chris Burress is the owner of Stitch-n-Screen in Lakeside where our family personally have gotten a few sweatshirts from when the kids were in High School and now operates East End Driving Academy out of the same building at 45th Avenue East.

Burress got the idea to open a driving academy on the east end of town when his girlfriends youngest child was learning to drive. Because nothing was available in their area it was a big hassle and a lot of running around to get him to his driving class.

Teens and parents will now have 4 options of private driving schools in the Northland. There is also Duluth’s Community Education program, which holds classes after school year-round, but space is limited and spots fill up quickly.

According to the Duluth News Tribune it was a long process, 6 months total, for Burress to get certified to teach drivers ed. Part of it was because he is also running his other business as well.  After being trained Burress said "he had to sit through 10 classes of driver’s education, have six two-hour behind-the-wheel training sessions, go through fingerprinting and background checks, pass a 100-question short-answer test and take a driving test in West Duluth as well as a two-hour driving exam in Minneapolis. There was also a bunch of paperwork."

Buress held his first class last week and will continue to hold classes once a month throughout the year to allow time for behind the wheel lessons. As of now he will take up to 26 students per class, and is hoping to hire more instructors in the future as the business grows.