SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. — More students in Santa Rosa County are riding electric bikes to school. The school board is now looking to set clear rules.
A new proposed policy would spell out who can ride, where they can ride, and what happens if students don’t follow the rules.
“They’ve become more and more popular,” Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Randy Tifft said. “A lot since they were developed, they’ve come down in pricing. People can actually afford them now. It is a growing trend across the county.”
The proposal would allow students in grades 6-12 to ride e-bikes to school — but only with a district-issued permit.
The Santa Rosa County School District said in a statement:
The e-bike policy was created at the recommendation of our policy provider. Many districts are adopting policies related to e-bikes.
Under the plan, students would have to complete a safety course and get a parent’s approval in order to receive the permit.
On campus, riding would be limited to designated areas, in manual mode only.
Tifft supports the policy.
“I think the school board is looking out for the safety of the kids, both riding those e-bikes and students that are not on them,” he said. “To make sure that there’s something in place that ensures the safety of all of our students on our campuses.”
Students also must follow all state rules as well, like helmets required for riders under 18 and traffic laws.
“Our SROs will be there to enforce the school’s policies just like they do any other policy that’s on school grounds,” Tifft said. “So our SROs will assist in that and make sure that people are compliant with the rules once they’re enacted.”
Students who break the rules could lose their permit and face discipline.
A public hearing on the new policy is scheduled for Thursday. No final decision will be made.
WEAR News also reached out to the Escambia and Okaloosa school districts. Escambia County Public Schools says they have not seen an increasing in students using e-bikes to get to school, therefore, have not had a discussion on a policy.
Okaloosa County Schools have seen some students using e-bikes, but have not discussed a policy within the school district yet.
