OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Summer break is almost over for Central Florida students, which means yellow school buses will be back on the road.

After dealing with a shortage of 50 bus drivers, the Osceola County School District said they are starting the school year with 250 full-time bus drivers for 250 bus routes.

“It’s rewarding, and we are set for the start of the school year, but we’re far from done," said Randy Wheeler, director of Osceola County School District’s bus transportation. "We have to keep recruiting school bus drivers and bus attendants on a regular basis."

Roberto Perez, a current Osceola County bus driver, said he’s found meaning transporting kids to school after leaving the military.

He has been driving a yellow school bus for the district since October 2023.

Ahead of the school year, Perez said he does daily “pre-trips” to prepare for the real thing.

“The first thing to do is an air-leak test, which I’m in the middle of here now,” he said. “Anytime before you drive the bus for a route. So you check in the morning. You also check in the afternoon.”

“We check the emergency exits. We’ll check the seatbelts, the seats,” he added.

Perez said his job takes responsibility, patience and sticking to a solid routine.

“I have them call me Mr. Perez. That’s kind of my rule on the bus,” he said. “And if you are not patient, you will learn to be patient — with traffic and with the students."

Perez said veterans like him can struggle to find work with a purpose, but he said he’s found his place after a life of service.

“I find purpose in safely transporting the future leaders of America,” he said.

Perez said his biggest priority is his family. He has summers off, and in July spent some of it in Georgia.

“There are a few jobs where you can get a lot of opportunities to do something like that with your family, so that to me is one of the biggest incentives to work here as a bus driver,” he said.

Perez, who is looking to retire in Osceola County, said it’s a rewarding career.

“When the kids tell you they’re happy to see you. They’re glad you’re their bus driver,” he said. “I know a lot of you, if you’re seeing this story, might struggle with finding that meaningful job that has that purpose. And I find that this is a really great option for veterans.”

District officials said part of the target market for hiring bus drivers is retirees.