Orange County Wants to Ban E-Bikes for Kids. Should Brevard Be Next?

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Electric bikes and scooters could soon be off-limits for Orange County’s youngest students, and the debate playing out an hour up the road raises a fair question for parents here: should Brevard Public Schools do the same?

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On Tuesday, the Orange County School Board reviewed a revised draft policy that would bar elementary students from bringing or riding e-bikes and e-scooters on school property. Middle and high school students would still be allowed to use the devices, but under stricter rules requiring them to walk the devices once on campus and park them in designated racks. The board is scheduled to take public comment and hold a final vote on July 28, with the rules phasing in as the new school year begins.

The push follows a run of injuries. District leaders have cited 41 incidents between December and May involving e-bikes and e-scooters that left students hurt, one of them fatally. Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children reported a 205% jump in device-related injuries over a one-year period ending in October 2025. Under the draft, an e-bike could not exceed 750 watts or a top speed of 28 mph, and modified and Class 3 e-bikes would be prohibited outright.

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Some board members want to go further. One said during an earlier meeting she would “stand for banning all of them.” The superintendent has pointed to serious safety concerns districtwide, including a student death. But not everyone is sold. Parents at the meeting were split, with some calling an elementary ban too restrictive and others asking why kids couldn’t simply ride traditional bikes instead.

The grief behind the policy is real. Colton Remsburg, a student, was struck and killed while riding an e-scooter in Lake Nona on Mother’s Day. His mother told a local station that a ban by itself falls short, saying “a ban alone is not enough,” and that education and accountability are what ultimately save lives.

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The Brevard connection

This is not a distant Orlando story. A sixth-grade teacher from Brevard County was quoted supporting the Orange County plan, recalling a student who slammed into a fence while riding, “going like 30 miles per hour.” And right here in Melbourne, Florida Tech banned e-bikes, e-scooters and similar devices across all university property effective July 1, citing a sharp rise in injuries in Brevard County along with lithium-ion battery fires and thefts.

Brevard Public Schools currently has no comparable e-bike ban on the books. With injuries climbing across the Space Coast and neighboring districts moving quickly, the question is whether our schools should act before the new year starts, wait to see how Orange County’s rules play out, or leave it to parents.

So we want to hear from you. Should Brevard Public Schools ban e-bikes and e-scooters for elementary students the way Orange County is proposing? Should the rules go further, or is this government overreach into a family’s decision? Tell us in the comments.

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