SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Florida. — Broward County Public Schools bus drivers woke up early Monday to pick up students for the first day of the 2024-2025 school year.

In total, the Broward School District has a fleet of about 1,200 school buses, including up to 60 zero-emission electric buses.

Each of these buses is equipped with GPS technology that allows for real-time tracking and possible emergency response. Until Monday, the district’s 800 bus drivers were busy practicing their new routes on the roads.

The district has more than 750 different school bus routes to get children to and from school. While the focus was on learning these new routes, drivers also paid attention to what’s under the hood. They checked everything from the automatic stop signs on the side to the bolts on some tires.

Last week, Local 10 News spoke with district transportation officials who had some advice for parents who may have forgotten some of the basics when it comes to catching the bus on the first day of school.

“We recommend that all parents be at the stop 10 minutes before the bus departs. For safety reasons, we recommend that they be at the stop with their child so they know where the child is and the child is safe. We also recommend that they stay on the sidewalk and not on the street and wait until the bus has come to a complete stop before attempting to board,” said Dr. Simone Clowers of BCPS Transportation.