ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — With the new school year just days away, parents and students are making final arrangements for getting to and from school.
But more than a week after the Orange County School Board voted to restrict e-bikes and e-scooters on public school campuses, questions remain about how the new policy will be enforced.
The policy is set to take effect Sept. 8.
Under the new rules, students without a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license will not be allowed to bring e-bikes or e-scooters onto school property.
Students who are allowed to use the devices must dismount once they enter campus. They will also be required to register their device with the school and park it in a designated area.
At a back-to-school press conference Friday, Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Vazquez said specific enforcement details will be discussed during an upcoming workshop. She said consequences could increase gradually, starting with a warning and parent contact and potentially resulting in the loss of a student’s privilege to use an e-bike or e-scooter.
The district plans to review the policy after the first nine weeks of school to determine whether changes are needed based on feedback.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina also addressed the policy on Friday, making clear that deputies will not enforce school rules.
“Rules on the schools. We don’t enforce the school rules,” Mina said. “We are there for the protection of our children. We’re there to enforce state laws and local ordinances.”
Mina said the Sheriff’s Office is working with Orange County on proposed local regulations governing e-bikes and e-scooters.
“We created the language at the Sheriff’s Office, which we think we will need to help enforce e-bike and e-scooter violations,” Mina said. “We gave that language to Orange County government, and they’re reviewing that right now.”
The school district said its policy could change if a local ordinance is approved.
The district estimates about 12,000 students use e-bikes and e-scooters to get to and from school.
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