Students at Thomas Marsh Preparatory Academy headed off for their first field trip of the school year, which was a trip with their math and business teacher to a local grocery store to learn more about the economics behind running a business.
The really cool thing is not so much about what they're doing on the trip, but how that they got there.
The budget for field trips goes fast. cash is often eaten up paying for a bus driver.
"Like paying an hourly amount, like $50 $30, even it adds up, and if I do it... we don't, have to pay," said Dawn Dukes, the principal at Thomas Marsh Preparatory Academy.
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"You got to be careful for the curves. And the people that just want to cut you off all the time," said Dukes, as she climbed behind the wheel.
Unwilling to let her kids miss out, she steps away from the front office, for the front seat.
"I drove a school bus, in college for an after school program," she said.
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She renewed her commercial license, took all the trainings and classes and now is certified to drive.
"It feels really interesting, like really cool. today. I was like, 'Okay, it's just like riding a bike,' it comes back. It was fun looking in the rearview mirror, seeing all of our kids," she said.
"The school bus is kinda bumpy, it's old, but she's drives good," said one of her students, but he did hesitate when we asked if she was better than the regular drivers.
The bumps weren't just in the road. The emergency door alarm went off on the bus, the front door got stuck too, but after a few Facetime calls to the engineers at the bus center and help from NBC 5's Wayne Carter who found the trick to the reset button --- she got things rolling again so the kids could learn.
"Our students just need access. They need to see the world. And we can do that by taking them places even in Dallas just places that they might not have ever been," said Dukes.
