Perham High School Students to Graduate with Diplomas and Commercial Driver's Licenses

Cadyn Wells will walk across the Perham High School graduation stage this spring with something most seniors don't: a Class A commercial driver's license already earned and ready to work.

Wells is one of 10 Perham seniors who completed "Road to CDL," a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Perham-Dent Public Schools and M State that delivers a fully credentialed CDL alongside a high school diploma. The program is the first of its kind in the west central Minnesota region.

For families who might consider paying for the training independently, the numbers make the program's significance clear. Private CDL programs typically run between $6,000 and $10,000. All 10 students received $5,000 grants to cover their behind-the-wheel training costs, effectively eliminating the financial barrier that historically pushes young people toward either debt or delay.

Darren Glynn, Perham High School's work-based learning coordinator, built the program around a regional reality: demand for drivers was already there long before a solution arrived.

"We've got kids who are ready to work, ready to build a life right after high school," Glynn said. "This gives them a real, tangible skill they can take anywhere. A CDL is not just a license; it is a livelihood."

Classroom instruction runs through M State's online curriculum covering rules of the road, emergency procedures, speed management, and vehicle control systems. The training is arranged through the school's Work-Based Learning program and open to students 17 and older. Local trucking companies have participated in CDL career talks at the high school, and in previous cohorts, area businesses covered students' behind-the-wheel training costs directly when grants were not available. "Many local businesses who need drivers are willing to sponsor a student and cover those costs," Glynn noted. "We have had many examples of that in Perham and other companies in the area."

On the employment outlook, Glynn has been unequivocal. "There is zero chance that these students will not have jobs when they graduate," he said. "There's just such a high demand right now."

A Class A CDL at 18 reaches well beyond trucking in Otter Tail County. Glynn pointed out that the credential opens doors in farming, construction, and local manufacturing, the industries that form the backbone of the regional economy.

The 10 students completing the program are Tyrese Brown, Tristen Martinez, Brackston Ward, Colby Flatau, Cadyn Wells, John Steeke, Josiah Weatherhead, Trystan Larson, Isaac Smith, Nathan Rustad, and Carson Weappa.

With a group of juniors already slated to enroll in the next cohort, the program has moved beyond a pilot and into something Perham's workforce can count on.