- 1). Obtain a copy of the school bus driver handbooks relating to your state. Contact your state's Department of Education and request a copy of all handbooks for school bus drivers.
- 2). Contact your local school district. Individual school districts set policies for school bus drivers over and above the state regulations. The handbooks for school bus drivers in your local area may also incorporate the governing union rules, which are important to learn.
- 3). Schedule time to read the handbooks. The handbooks can range from less than 100 pages, to more than 500 pages, depending on your location, so it's important to tackle the task of reading the handbooks like a job with set hours and deadlines.
- 4). Ask for your family's cooperation. Request that they don't disturb you while you're reading your handbooks, and place a "Do Not Disturb" sign in the area where you're reading.
- 5). Divide up your reading. There are different sections in the handbooks, such as driving of the school bus, student conduct, emergencies, inclement weather conditions and more. If you have more than one handbook, read the section pertaining to "Student Conduct" in one handbook, and then read the "Student Conduct" in the second handbook to tie in all the information from multiple sources.
- 6). Take notes. Because there's so much information to learn and incorporate from the school bus driver handbooks, it may take time and firsthand experience to learn everything you need to know. By highlighting sections, organizing them into tabbed notes or using note cards, you'll have go-to references for future use.