MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - Two schools in Mahoning County have received grant funds to increase driver training options for teens across the Valley.

2nd Nature Driving Academy in Boardman will receive $229,160, and Choffin Career and Technical Center will receive $65,330.

The funding is part of $4.5 million in Creating Opportunities for Driver Education (CODE) grants awarded across 25 Ohio counties to increase driver training capacities at nearly 100 locations across Ohio, including driver training enterprises, educational service centers, school districts, and career and technical schools.

The funding can be used for training vehicles, instructor salaries, online education, and other administrative costs.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine says this funding allows more students in underserved areas to have access to driver training and, in turn, allows them to contribute to a safer, more informed generation of drivers.

"We know many teens in Ohio are waiting until they are 18 to get a driver's license either because they can't afford training, they do not have access to a local driving school, or the wait list for training is too long," said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson.

Wilson says the grant program is not intended to replace current driver training schools but to increase capacity in an "overburdened" system and fill training gaps across the state.