Choice bus shows students the importance of staying in school

Credit: Bruce Matlock

Troutman Middle school students Ehan Bailey (front), Dreanna Chambers and Jack Carty toured the cell on The Choice Bus on Monday.

By: Chyna Broadnax | Mooresville Tribune
Published: October 20, 2009

Troutman Middle School eighth-graders got a life lesson Monday on the consequences of dropping out of school.

Some 150 students boarded The Choice Bus, a dropout prevention tool of the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, a national nonprofit organization whose aim is to reduce school dropout rates.

Principal Jeff James learned of the bus two years ago at a Dropout Prevention Conference in Georgia.

He was inspired to bring the bus to Iredell-Statesville Schools because it focuses on education and steering clear of the prison system.

"I realized we got to educate our kids about their future," he said.

James was compelled to bring the bus to his school to bring awareness to students because "so many times they don't understand the ramification of not getting an education," he said.

The Choice Bus' exterior is that of half a school bus and half a prison transport vehicle.

Inside, Troutman Middle students were shown a short documentary that included prison inmates talking about the importance of an education and consequences of dropping out of school.

The students also learned about the percentage of inmates who are high school dropouts, how much money a typical dropout makes and how much money a typical college graduate makes.

After the video, presenter Lynn Smelley pulled back the black curtain draped behind him, revealing an 8-by-8-foot jail cell. The students raised out of their seats and maneuvered around each other to get a better view of the cell.

Sam Barr, 13, said he had seen jail cells only on television, but getting an opportunity to step foot into one was an eye opener.

"The cell was pretty eerie," he said. "It was cramped with no windows."

Kristi Crouch, 13, said she learned dropping out can lead to jail time and hurts your chances of finding a well-paying job.

"It made me not want to drop out," she said.

The bus has visited seven states and more than 75,000 students have been on board, according to Phil Christian, executive director of the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation.

"If we can keep kids in high school, we have a good chance of keeping them out of prison," he said.