MILTON, La. (KLFY)-- Milton Elementary-Middle School Principal Amanda Guillory is filling in as a school bus driver this school year.

"This morning it was, 'Mrs. Guillory, you picked us up!' and 'Wait, what are you doing driving the bus?'" Guillory said. "I'm like, 'Well you got to get to school.'"

Guillory said she started filling in for drivers because it is hard to get substitute drivers to drive all the way to Milton, sometimes leaving parents to drive their kids to school. Guillory said the longer car rider line makes students and staff late.

"That burden often falls on our families," Guillory said. "After already having a long car rider line and already having that whenever a bus driver is out, it's even longer. It's less instructional time, whether the staff is still doing car rider duty, or the student is not in the classroom."

While serving as a summer school administrator this past summer, Guillory completed bus driving training within one month. That is a process that usually takes about three months.

"To be a good leader, you need to know everyone's role in which you lead," Guillory said. "So that was the aspect that I was going for, to learn what the bus drivers go through to better understand how to help them and support them. In the end, it's filled my bucket because it helps the families, it's instructional minutes for the school, and we get the kids to school."

The school board office will reimburse those training to be a school bus driver who have already paid for the third-party exam, CPR certification and any initial DMV cost. Anyone with a valid driver's license is eligible for the training.

To complete school bus driver training, contact the school board office.

Latest News