Peoria mayor becomes Peoria principal for a day

PEORIA (25 News Now) - All three Peoria high schools had a new principal reading their morning announcements Tuesday.

At Manual High School, it was Peoria Mayor Rita Ali patrolling the halls this morning, with the new title of principal.

She spent the day talking with students, and facing the daily challenges of a principal, in the same hallways she used to roam as a student.

“To understand what the principal does on a day-to-day basis is really challenging work,” she said. “I actually learned some things today, especially in the science classroom.”

“Many of them were very surprised to learn that I too am a Manual graduate.”

Peoria Public Schools started the principal for a day program to get leaders from the community more involved in education and to expose students to different career paths they could pursue in the future.