Deon Derrico Drives a School Bus Now — Inside the Solo Dad’s Wild Daily Life With 12 Kids

Five seasons of television made Deon Derrico famous for running one of the biggest households in America. These days, his most important job title is one no camera crew gave him: school bus driver — and solo dad to 12 of his 14 children.

According to reports from Deon’s November 2025 podcast interview, the former TLC star now drives a school bus, while his ex-wife Karen works as a substitute teacher. And according to Starcasm’s reporting from July 2026, Deon has said 12 of the 14 Derrico kids live with him. The man who once had a TV crew documenting his every move is now doing the hardest version of the job entirely in real life.

The Job Nobody Saw Coming

Think about it for a second: a school bus driver who goes home to a house full of kids who also need rides, homework help, dinner, and bedtime. For most parents, the school run is the stressful part of the day. For Deon, it is literally the day job — and then the second shift starts the moment he walks through his own front door.

Fans have pointed out the poetry of it. The man famous for his military-grade routines — the color-coded schedules, the “Poppy’s OCD” grocery runs viewers loved on Doubling Down With the Derricos — now runs a route where being on time is not a quirk, it is the whole job. The skills that made great television turned out to be the skills that keep a giant family functioning.

12 Kids, One Dad, Zero Days Off

The numbers alone are staggering. Twelve children under one roof means twelve school schedules, twelve appetites, twelve sets of feelings — and one dad holding the whole operation together. Deon has spoken openly about the grief of the divorce, describing it as feeling “as if someone had died.” Yet the daily machine keeps running: mornings, meals, homework, bedtime, repeat.

It is the side of the Derrico story the cameras never fully showed. On TLC, there was always a second parent in the frame. Now, according to reports, the frame belongs almost entirely to Deon — and to GG, the beloved grandmother who remains close to her grandchildren through it all.

The Kitchen Is the New Classroom

If you want proof that the old Deon is still in there, look at his recent posts. The same week he confirmed to fans that the family is “filming right now” for a new season, he shared the kids pitching in on Thanksgiving meal prep — learning to clean, prep, and cook, just like he taught the older boys years ago.

“I’m teaching my boys the importance in being a part of cleaning and getting ready for the Holidays,” Deon wrote in one beloved post. Fans flooded the comments with praise: this is the Derrico magic that no courtroom headline can touch — a dad turning chores into lessons and a kitchen full of kids into a team.

What About Karen?

Here is what we know, and what we do not. Deon and Karen divorced in June 2024 after 19 years of marriage, sharing joint custody of their 13 minor children. Karen’s criminal case — she was arrested in Las Vegas in June 2026 on charges including aggravated stalking, after Deon accused her of sending threatening emails — remains open in Nevada courts, according to reports. She pleaded not guilty, and her attorney claims Deon forged the emails, a claim he denies. Karen is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise, and no verified outcome has been publicly reported.

Fans speculate endlessly about what the new season will show of the co-parenting arrangement. Will Karen appear on camera? Will the show follow two households instead of one? Deon has not said — and that silence is exactly why every new post from him sends the fandom into overdrive.

The Comeback Nobody Expected

Here is the twist fans did not see coming: the school bus driver might be TV’s next comeback story. Deon has told fans cameras are rolling on a new season, targeting a 2027 premiere. No network, title, or date has been announced — and after two years of promises that went nowhere, plenty of fans are waiting for proof before they celebrate.

But if the new season does arrive, it will not be the show fans remember. It will be the story of a solo dad of 12, a school bus driver by trade, holding a famous family together one morning routine at a time. Honestly? That might be the most compelling season yet.

Could YOU run a household of 12 kids solo — school runs, dinners, homework and all? Or does Deon deserve a medal just for the mornings? Sound off in the comments!