Wiseburn board narrows e‑bike rules, approves e‑bike and cell‑phone policies; staff to implement training and registration

The Wiseburn board approved two policies affecting student transportation and device use.

Electric bicycles: Trustees agreed to limit the new policy to electric bicycles and to remove broader language that might have unintentionally prohibited lower‑power scooters. The final measure bars class 3 e‑bikes from campus while allowing class 1 and 2 e‑bikes under a registration process that will include an approved safety training or certificate and a decal for monitored parking/lock areas. Staff said parents and students will submit proof of training and that the district will work with local partners (including a possible Hawthorne Police Department training) for safety courses. The board voted to adopt the e‑bike policy (motion carried 5–0).

Mobile devices: Trustees also adopted a policy restricting use of personal mobile communication devices during the school day (described in the materials as a bell‑to‑bell restriction with enumerated authorized exceptions and a principal’s discretion for urgent communications). A district staff member summarized that the policy targets misuse during unstructured times (recess, lunch and passing periods) as much as instructional misuse. One trustee expressed concern about parent‑student communication for pickups and asked that authorized exceptions and designated phone‑use zones be clarified in administrative regulations. The board approved the policy on a 4–0–1 vote (one abstention was recorded in the minutes).