Pelican Driving School has long been a place that people come to learn — but the founding principles are rooted in the community and it’s what has led to their continued success.

For more than 23 years, Pelican Driving School has been a fixture in the community — much like its founder, Charlsie Maturin, a teaching and coaching legend in the Teche Area. When she wasn’t teaching, coaching, or refereeing, she spent her summers teaching driver’s education to thousands and thousands of eager learners.

“She taught drivers ed, for as long as I can remember,” her daughter and namesake, Charlsie Maturin Buteaux, a New Iberia native said. “She probably started teaching (driver’s ed) around 1974 or 1975.”

Momma Maturin was everything you looked for in a teacher. She cared for her community and after her retirement from teaching for more than two decades in 1999, she didn’t want to stop. She opened Pelican Driving School in March of 2000 to continue teaching. Afterall, a teacher never stops.

“It was a passion of hers, she enjoyed it,” Buteaux said. “She wanted to be able to make a difference to the students. She taught thousands and thousands of students in the 25 or 27 years that she taught.”

She didn’t want to just retire and not be able to just do anything. Pelican Driving School gave her that opportunity to continue to give back to her community.

Located at 103 W Admiral Doyle Dr # 103-C, Pelican Driving School offers 38-hour driving classes for students 17 years and younger. Adolescents take 30 hours of in-class time and eight hours of instructional driving time. They also offer a 14-hour driving class for adults who are 18 years and younger. Six hours of classroom time and eight hours of driving.

Their July classes have two 38-hours courses and one 14-hour course. Not including summers, most months, Pelican Driving School has one 38-hour course to accommodate parents as their students typically take the course on the weekends.

The classes are scheduled in advance, and while you are more than welcomed to sign up online, Buteaux said many of the parents and students much prefer the face-face interaction.

After her mom’s passing and her father’s retirement, Buteaux wanted to keep it in the family. Her son, Creighton and Collin oversee the school along with Buteaux who also teaches there. In total, Pelican Driving School will soon have seven certified instructors.

“It’s a third generation business,” Buteaux said.

That third generation is also a reflection on the students and parents they have taught all these years. Buteaux can’t count how many times a student or their parent has come up to them to say they remember learning from her mom.

“People will come in and say, ‘You’re momma taught my momma or my grandmother,’” Buteaux said. “Because she may have taught them at New Iberia Senior High or Anderson Middle when she was teaching in the 70s or early 80s.”

 Pelican Driving School has maintained such a level of success for all these years because of the personal feel you get when you go, Buteaux said. It all started from the matriarch, who taught her kids, Buteaux included, to help others when they need it.

“We grew up wanting to make sure people felt welcomed, coming into our driving school,” Buteaux said.”If someone needs help with something, we don’t mind helping them.”

Buteaux said her mom left some big shoes to feel, but they think they have made her proud. And they look forward to many more years of success.

“Not only Iberia parish students but Louisiana students,” Buteaux said. “We look forward to growing the business and possibly opening a second location soon.”

Pelican Driving School classes are $375. For more information, call 337-364-0060 or their Facebook Page.