Nassau school board discusses draft e-bike rules, asks staff to return with policy
Summary
Board members and staff discussed creating an e-bike policy covering permits, safety courses and campus operation; no vote was taken and staff were asked to refine language with the district safety team.
Board members discussed a proposed district policy addressing electric bicycles and similar devices and asked staff to draft policy language for later advertisement and formal adoption.
Doctor Burns, superintendent, told members the district consulted the Fernandina Beach police and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and that other districts have adopted permit and safety-course components. Board members raised specific concerns about distinguishing battery-powered e-bikes from gas-powered motorized bicycles and about enforcement and confiscation after repeated violations.
Members discussed model policies that include an online safety course and a decal or permit program tied to a passing score. Miss Simpkins said she favored a comprehensive approach to safety training, and another member suggested a clear consequence schedule — including confiscation after repeated violations — to help enforce rules.
The board did not vote. Doctor Burns and the safety team were asked to return with a proposed policy that clarifies terminology (including whether to cover gas-powered motorized bicycles), whether to require a safety course, and how enforcement would work across elementary, middle and high school campuses. No implementation timeline or enforcement protocol was adopted at the meeting.
