If a district provides driver's education solely through a private entity, does the fee waiver apply?
Yes. The district is responsible for making sure that the fee for a qualified student is waived.
The administrative rule 281--18.3(1)'b'. states: "A school district shall grant a student either a waiver of all student fees or a partial waiver of students fees if the student or the student's family meets the financial eligibility criteria for reduced price meals offered under the Child Nutrition Program. A partial waiver shall be based on a sliding scale related to an ability to pay."
Although the sliding scale is not described, what appears to be most defensible is to reduce all fees by the same percentage reduction that is applied to lunch.