Orange County schools move forward with new e-bike policy ahead of back-to-school

Avery EverettORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

Students who ride e-bikes to school in Orange County may have to adjust their commute this year as the district rolls out a new e-bike policy.

Orange County Public Schools’ new guidelines prohibit elementary and middle school students from bringing or using a motorized micromobility device, like an e-bike or e-scooter, on school property. Only high school students with a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit will be allowed to bring one of these devices on school property.

But they must register it first and get a school-issued decal.

A district spokesperson said schools are now developing the e-bike registration process while working with law enforcement to determine how this new policy will be enforced.

Even though school starts next week, these guidelines come with a grace period. The district said enforcement won’t begin until Sept. 8, after Labor Day.

This new policy decision was approved by the school board just last week, but Stephanie Vanos, the board member for District 6, said the discussion has been months in the making.

“Really the concern was just the safety of our students and really the safety of our community,” Vanos told WESH 2. “We started having this conversation about a year ago. We’ve had several work sessions and talked about it during school board meetings.”