At a special meeting on Tuesday, June 23, the Dare County Board of Education approved a policy that prohibits the operation of E-Bikes on school property or at school-related activities.
The regulation was quickly approved during a Second Reading of the policy. The First Reading was held at the June 8 Board of Education meeting. The language in the policy cites the “board’s commitment to safety,” as well as “the risk of injury to students and others” posed by E-Bikes.
The policy stipulates that although operating E-Bikes is prohibited on school property, students can possess E-Bikes there as long as they are walked and parked or stored in designated areas on school property.
The policy also states that there are “consequences” for violating E-bike regulations, and during the meeting, Ed Board Vice-Chair Ron Payne asked if there will be specific penalties imposed for those violations. Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight responded that the penalties will be included in the Code of Conduct. Dare County Board of Education Policy Manual
The adoption of E-Bike policy for the Dare County Schools comes amid growing momentum for stronger regulations. In April, Dare County prohibited the operation of E-Bikes at Dare County Parks & Rec parks, citing “safety issues” that included reckless speeding and spinning tires.
On June 11, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office announced it was “increasing patrol presence to monitor E-Bike use to ensure safety for everyone,” noting that the department “receives numerous complaints throughout the county.”
And officials in several Dare County municipalities have said they are monitoring state legislation that could give them more authority and pave the way for new local E-Bike ordinances.