ORLANDO, Fla. — The school drop-off line can be a chaotic place in the morning, but as the school year comes to a close, an Everyday Hero looks forward to the next time he can make the school day better.  

What You Need To Know

  • Frank Johnson started volunteering at Pershing School in Orlando when in-person learning restarted after COVID-19

  • Johnson helps get kids out of their car and into school safely

  • He has volunteered in various ways since high school, including when he was in the Army 

Around 8 a.m. each school day, cars start lining up outside Pershing School in Orlando, where the children see the friendly and familiar Frank Johnson.

"Welcome the kids as they come, open the door," Johnson described. "It'll just be me and usually the assistant principal, and a couple other staff members might come out."

Sometimes he's joined by the school “safety patrol.” It's a job that seems pretty simple, but it's one that Johnson takes to heart.

"I've been doing it since COVID, since they came back to school after COVID. It started because of no safety patrols after COVID, and then I just haven't quit," Johnson said.

The staff is glad he hasn't quit, and so is one student in particular, a student by the name of Cody. His mother said Cody doesn't have his grandparents in his life anymore, so he asked Johnson to be his grandfather. Johnson said that's caught on with many others, and he loves it.

"I do. It gives me a boost every morning that I have, like someone said, I have hundreds of grandchildren now," Johnson added.

He's volunteered most of his life, including during his time in the Army giving rides to people with special needs. He also volunteered a lot during his days in high school. Each day for him is mission accomplished.

Orange County Public Schools nominated Johnson as an Everyday Hero. They say it's a friendly reminder that, even at retirement age, coming to school every day can be fun.