FANCY FARM, Ky. — A Kentucky elementary school principal is pulling double-duty as a bus driver due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Janet Throgmorton has been the principal at Fancy Farm Elementary for the past 11 years. Previously, she was a teacher at the school who taught all grade levels except kindergarten.
She earned her CDL three years ago so she could help drive school buses when needed. Now, the pandemic has made that need a reality.
"One of my drivers has won the battle against COVID. She's just trying to recover her health. And another driver, he's still fighting and on the ventilator. So we're hoping as he makes improvements daily that he'll get off that vent soon," Throgmorton said, adding that the driver has been on the ventilator for more than 40 days.
Throgmorton said the drivers got sick while the district was doing remote learning, but with the return to in-person school last week, she needed to fill in. She's been driving kids home in the afternoons.
Throgmorton said when she first began driving a school bus, both students and parents were not expecting it.
"The kids getting on the bus were very surprised. And they're like, 'Ms. Janet, why are you driving our bus?' And some of them even said, 'Mrs. Janet, do you know how to drive a bus?' So they've enjoyed it," Throgmorton said. "Some of their parent reactions when I drop them off as the parents meet the bus for the younger children, especially. They would kind of wave at me and then, they would take a double take because they would realize it was me. But it's been positive."
In addition to driving the school bus, Throgmorton has been making house calls during the pandemic. For example, when students' laptops break, she would bring replacements to their homes, troubleshoot any issues, and answer questions.
Although Throgmorton has been going above and beyond her role as Fancy Farm Elementary's principal, she applauds her students for adapting so well during the pandemic.