Coastline Academy offers free lessons after Apple Valley driving school closes

Coastline Academy is providing free driving lessons to Apple Valley students after Alpha Driving School shut down June 15, leaving families who prepaid for instruction stranded. The move aims to help students finish lessons and avoid delays in getting licensed.

Why it matters: - Hundreds of Apple Valley families who prepaid for driving lessons were left without a clear path to finish instruction after Alpha Driving School closed. - Coastline Academy’s intervention helps students avoid delays in driver education, licensing timelines and road readiness. - The response also underscores how disruptions at local schools can ripple through families that depend on scheduled behind-the-wheel training.

What happened: - Alpha Driving School, which served Apple Valley in San Bernardino County for nearly 40 years, closed unexpectedly on June 15, 2026. - The school had paused driving lessons for several weeks because of compliance and licensing issues before the closure. - Coastline Academy, which has served Apple Valley and surrounding areas since 2022, stepped in to provide free lessons to affected students. - Coastline Academy said it is reaching out directly to impacted students with details on how to schedule remaining lessons.

The details: - Coastline Academy is the nation’s largest driving school, with operations in more than 1,000 towns and cities across 7 states. - Coastline Academy says 98% of its customer reviews from students nationwide are 5-star ratings. - The company offers state-certified Driver’s Ed courses in person and online, plus behind-the-wheel instruction and road tests. - Coastline says its courses are designed to build a lifelong safety-first mindset, not just teach basic driving skills. - Nigel Tunnacliffe, Coastline Academy’s co-founder and CEO, said interrupted lessons can create gaps in education that affect student outcomes. - Tunnacliffe said Coastline was glad to support Apple Valley students and help them become safe and confident drivers for life.

Between the lines: - Coastline Academy is using the closure to reinforce its position as a larger, tech-enabled alternative in driver education. - The company’s free-service response also serves as a public demonstration of its scale and local reach in a community hit by a sudden service gap. - The emphasis on safety and continuity suggests the company sees driver education as both a consumer service and a road-safety issue.

What’s next: - Coastline Academy will contact affected students directly with instructions for completing their remaining lessons. - Families that prepaid for Alpha Driving School lessons are expected to receive a path forward through Coastline’s outreach. - The Apple Valley disruption may push more students and parents to look for larger providers with broader operational coverage.

The bottom line: - Coastline Academy moved quickly to fill a local driving-lesson void, aiming to protect students from lost time and unfinished training.