WASHINGTON — A local school bus driver who rescued 20 elementary school kids from a burning bus was in for a major surprise when she appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

In an episode that aired Tuesday, Renita Smith recounted to daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres how she managed to get her “babies” to safety after a Prince George’s County public school bus went up in flames Sept. 12. She even went back to the bus to check for missing kids.

“I had to make sure all of my babies were accounted for,” Smith told DeGeneres.

Smith said she was still aswoon from all the attention that’s followed since the rescue — the most recent was a celebration the students put together in her honor.

That’s when DeGeneres hit her with the big surprise: “We want to give you a check for $20,000.”

Watch Smith’s appearance on the show: