After years as its most requested service, a local Latino-led nonprofit officially launched its long-awaited bilingual driving school.
“We've been working really hard to come up with solutions and bridge those gaps so that more people can have access to driver's education, have knowledge and be licensed,” said Jennyfer Mesa, executive director of Latinos en Spokane.
Certified by the Department of Licensing, Latinos en Spokane launched Rutas Seguras Driving Academy– or in English, “Safe Routes” Driving Academy" – in early December, aiming to break down language barriers for Spanish-speaking community members.
An estimated 7.8% of Spokane residents are Latino, and about 2.8% of Spokane residents speak primarily Spanish at home, according to the 2025 city of Spokane’s Racially Disparate Impacts Analysis,
Andres Sanchez, a program manager for the program, said the cost for teen driver’s education is $325. The fee includes 30 hours of classroom instruction, four hours using a driving simulator, and six hours behind the wheel. Adult courses cost $355 and include four hours of classroom instruction, six hours of behind-the-wheel training, and one hour on the driving simulator, both lower rates than other programs in the Spokane area, Sanchez said.
Classes will be held in a space located a few feet from the Latinos en Spokane office, he said.
“We want to provide nothing different than the best quality, affordable education with the best equipment that is possible on the market,” Sanchez said.
Mesa also said with ongoing immigration crackdowns under the Trump Administration, the program will also advise drivers on their rights if they are pulled over.
“When we're informing people of their rights and they feel confident on the road, this really reduces police interactions,” Mesa said. “We can know what to expect, and we can know what our rights are and how we can remain protected.”
According to the Department of Licensing’s website, many driver education courses in Washington cost more than $500 for teens and adults, which can be a financial burden for low-income families. And with most courses offered only in English, it can also be difficult for some residents to understand how to enroll, despite the need for driver’s education, Mesa said.
“We are trying to reach out to schools and really prioritize low-income families to get access to our drivers program,” she said. “Safer roads are a benefit for all of us, not only for the individual that's driving, but for pedestrians, for the entire community.”
Before establishing their own program, Latinos en Spokane partnered with driving schools in central Washington for four years, assisting Spokane community members who would travel to complete their courses.
During that time, Mesa said, the nonprofit assisted 184 people with their driving education.
“A lot of our community would have to go to Yakima, to Pasco, or even to Seattle to get bilingual drivers education,” Mesa said. “So after a few years of doing that and having our own graduates, we decided it's time for us to invest here locally.”
