Who's going to teach Burien's teens how to drive?

It will be harder to find a professional driving instructor following the state Department of Licensing's closure of Diamond Driving School in Burien.

Owner Gary Probst signed on Oct. 4 an agreed order with Licensing that revoked his driver training school license for the Diamond school at 6331/2 S.W. 150th St. for 10 years.

The order also revoked Probst's right to reapply for driver training school licenses for 10 years, and his driver instructor license for five years.

Malia Orbino, Probst's daughter and partner in the school, also signed an agreed order revoking her driver training school licenses and her right to reapply for driver training school licenses for 10 years.

Licensing will close 40 other driver training schools across the state owned by Probst. Orbino is a partner with her father in 19 of the schools.

The department's action was based on charges that Probst entered pleas of guilty to several charges in a general court martial and therefore did not meet state driver training school ownership requirements.

These charges included signing false official documents, wrongfully appropriating government property, making and using a false writing in connection with a claim, and wearing unauthorized awards and decorations.

The state action followed a series of investigative articles on Probst written by reporter Sean Robinson of the News Tribune in Tacoma. Robinson is the grandson of Times/News publisher Jerry Robinson.

A traditional source of instruction-"driver's ed"-in the public schools is no longer an option to fill the void created locally by the closure of the Diamond schools.

The Highline public school's traffic safety program was axed in this year's budget as district staffers struggled to make up a $3 million shortfall.

Officials said they wanted to concentrate on the "core educational mission" of the school district.

Probst's schools operate under the names Diamond Driving School, America's Best Driving School and Quality Driving School. Together, these schools form the largest chain of driving schools in the state.

Students currently attending the affected schools will be allowed to finish their courses, but all courses must be finished by the end of this year.

"This is great news for the driver training school industry and the safety of our teen drivers," Licensing Director Liz Luce said. "This wraps up serious concerns we've had about Probst's business practices and the quality of instruction he was providing to our young people."

The driver training school license revocations will become effective on Feb. 15. Probst has until that date to release all ownership and financial interests in his driving schools.

Probst will be allowed to sell his driver training schools during this period, but these schools must reapply for new driver training school licenses and meet all current requirements.

The agreed order signed by Probst also alleged that he failed to produce driver training school records requested by Licensing.

Under the agreed order Probst does not admit these violations but acknowledges that there are sufficient facts to determine they are true.

The administrative action does not affect a felony criminal complaint of first-degree theft recently filed by the state against Probst in Thurston County Superior Court.

In that case, a joint investigation by Licensing , the Department of Revenue, the Washington State Patrol and the Attorney General's Office uncovered evidence that Probst had evaded payment of sales and use taxes totaling $14,052 on purchases of 16 vehicles.

Trial on this charge is set for the week of Dec. 18.