ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools leaders are considering whether to ban e-bikes and electric scooters on school campuses following concerns about student safety.
The possibility of a districtwide ban was discussed Tuesday during a school board workshop, where members reviewed recommendations for regulating the devices ahead of the upcoming school year.
Some board members said they would support removing e-bikes and e-scooters from school property entirely.
“I would stand for banning all of them,” Orange County School Board Member Vicki-Elaine Felder said during the discussion.
[WATCH: Orange School Board set to discuss proposed rules on e-bikes, e-scooters]
Board Member Melissa Byrd also said she would support a complete ban.
“I would be totally OK with doing a full ban,” Byrd said.
Superintendent Maria Vazquez said the district has seen serious safety concerns involving these devices, including a fatal incident.
“We had one student that tragically died as a result of an accident involving a scooter and another who was seriously injured,” Vazquez said.
The district is considering several recommendations, including prohibiting modified e-bikes and Class 3 e-bikes, which can reach higher speeds than traditional bicycles.
During the workshop, board members questioned how schools would determine what types of devices students are bringing onto campuses.
“The challenge with all these devices is you can’t see what the watts [are],” one board member said.
Other recommendations include creating designated storage areas, requiring device registration and permits, tracking e-bike and scooter-related incidents, and developing an informational video for students and families.
The district is also considering a policy that would prevent students from charging e-bikes and scooters on school property due to fire safety concerns involving batteries.
District 3 School Board Member Alicia Farrant said the discussion is not about preventing people from using e-bikes and scooters altogether.
“We’re not saying they’re bad or you can’t use them. That’s what you want to do on your own time,” Farrant said. “But as far as coming onto school property, there have been too many injuries for us to just sit back and ignore it.”
Current school expectations already require students using bicycles on campus to follow safety rules, including parking in designated areas and walking bikes once they enter school grounds. Florida law also requires riders under 16 to wear helmets.
District leaders say the goal of the recommendations is to create clearer, districtwide expectations as electric transportation becomes more common among students.
The discussion did not result in a final decision. The board chair is expected to bring the recommendations forward at a future school board meeting, with the goal of putting a plan in place before the new school year begins.