Florida families in Orange County are being forced to rethink the school run after board members approved new restrictions preventing students without a driver’s licence or learner’s permit from bringing e-bikes and e-scooters onto campus.
The Orange County School Board approved the policy Tuesday night following divided public comment from parents, students and safety advocates.
“If this passes tonight, I don’t know how they are getting to school,” one parent told board members.
The rules will take effect during the upcoming school year, although the district said families will receive a grace period to make other arrangements.
District leaders said approximately 11,800 students regularly use e-bikes or e-scooters to travel to and from school, with most of those riders attending middle school.
One seventh-grade Florida student said the devices had become an important transportation option because both parents work full-time.
“With my parents having full-time jobs, this has allowed me to get to school on time,” the student said. “I don’t believe this is the best way to keep them safe.”
The new policy prohibits students without a driver’s licence or learner’s permit from bringing the devices to school. That effectively bars elementary and middle-school students from commuting to campus on e-bikes or e-scooters.
School Officials Point To Dozens Of Injuries
Board members said the restrictions were prompted by an increasing number of crashes and growing concerns about risky riding.
Orange County Public Schools reported 41 e-bike and e-scooter incidents resulting in injuries between December and May.
Under the policy, eligible high-school students must register their devices and display a district-issued decal. Riders must also dismount once they enter school property.
Central Florida Public Media reported that only high-school students with a valid driver’s licence or learner’s permit will be allowed to ride the devices to school.
Supporters argued that district officials could not wait for a more serious tragedy before taking action.
Ashley LaChance, whose 13-year-old son, Colton Remsburg, was killed after the e-scooter he was riding was struck by a pickup truck in Lake Nona, Florida, urged the board to approve immediate restrictions.
“Families need to understand while a temporary change might be uncomfortable, this permanent change is unbearable,” LaChance said.
LaChance has also said her family is launching a nonprofit called Helmet On, which is developing a smart helmet intended to improve rider safety.
Some parents argued that the district should concentrate on traffic education, helmet use and enforcement rather than restricting access to the devices.
Multiple board members pushed back against placing another enforcement responsibility on school employees.
“Asking our teachers to take up traffic enforcement sets them up to failure,” one board member said.
Another added: “We do not need to be the DMV.”
Opponents also questioned whether banning the devices from school property would prevent crashes. Students could still ride on public roads and potentially leave their e-bikes or scooters just outside campus.
Before the final vote, board member Angie Gallo expressed concern that a ban would make it harder for children to reach school without addressing the broader road-safety problem.
“I just don’t think, in my heart, the ban solves the problem,” Gallo said during an earlier board discussion. “It makes it more difficult for children to get to school.”
Her comments were reported by Central Florida Public Media.
Other parents said the inconvenience was justified.
“I support the policy generally,” one parent told the board. “There are other ways to get to school.”
One speaker offered a much simpler plea: “Let the kids scoot.”
Orange County officials said the grace period is intended to give affected families time to find alternative transportation before enforcement begins.
