What must a school bus driver verify before releasing the parking brake and pulling away from a school bus stop?

DEPARTURE SEQUENCE — every step must be completed before movement: STUDENT CLEARANCE: All exiting students must be visible in a safe location (sidewalk, driveway, away from the roadway) — not just 'probably there' but actually visible; CROSSING CLEARANCE: If any students crossed, they must be visible on the far side of the road — the driver must be able to see that each student has completed the crossing; MIRROR SWEEP: Final check of all mirrors (flat, convex, cross-view) for any student who may have circled back or fallen; STOP ARM FULLY RETRACTED: Partial retraction is not complete retraction; RED LIGHTS OFF: Lights must be fully extinguished before moving; any movement with red lights active is a violation. Only when ALL conditions are confirmed does the driver release the brake. Each step exists because a real child has been killed when it was skipped.