Orange County school board reviews e-scooter and e-bike safety as on-campus incidents rise

Orange County Public Schools held a work session on Nov. 18, 2025, to review the district's response to growing use of electric scooters and e-bikes and an uptick in related injuries among students. District safety staff highlighted injury trends, existing Florida definitions for micro-mobility devices and several policy options the board could consider.

The presentation, led by Joe Sylvester, senior director of safety and emergency management, said scooter and e-bike use among students has surged in recent years and that hospitals report more trauma cases involving head injuries and broken bones. Sylvester cited slide materials showing a sharp increase in emergency-room visits related to scooters since 2017 and a substantial year-to-year rise for teenage riders, and noted that many incidents involve riders not wearing helmets and environmental hazards such as narrow roadways and uneven pavement. "With each passing year, these devices become more technologically advanced and more affordable, making them increasingly accessible to a wider population," Sylvester told the board.

Board members used the discussion to probe enforcement and liability. Member Douglas thanked staff for raising the issue and urged parent and industry accountability, saying the district must consider ripple effects when children are hospitalized. Member Vannos asked whether batteries pose a fire hazard; staff answered they are typically lithium batteries and committed to researching the likelihood of on-campus battery fires. Member Felder raised liability concerns if a battery incident occurs on district property and asked what protections or emergency responses the district has in place.

Superintendent Dr. Maria Vasquez and other staff emphasized the district's limited enforcement authority: under current law, helmet and vehicle-operation enforcement is primarily a law-enforcement function. General counsel Mister Palmerini cautioned that any district attempt to assume responsibility for off-campus conduct would raise questions about uniform enforcement and potential legal exposure. "You could attempt to get that voluntary voluntary commitment from law enforcement," he said, noting the practical and legal limits of district enforcement.

District staff listed actions already taken: two deputy-superintendent newsletters to principals with guidance and links to Florida statutes, ParentSquare messages to families, partnerships with Bike Walk Central Florida to deliver school safety presentations, and plans to expand outreach and training. Sylvester also presented a set of options for the board to consider, ranging from increased communications and school-level training to a district policy limiting certain device classes on campus or an outright campus ban of e-bikes and scooters.

Board members asked staff to gather additional, non-confidential incident data and to convene secondary principals to discuss school-by-school approaches. Several members said they favored a targeted approach rather than a districtwide prohibition, at least initially, because school contexts and neighborhood patterns vary. Vasquez said staff will bring back more data and an agenda item for principals in January.

No vote was taken; the session was a non-action work session and public comment was not accepted.