The Arvin Union School District is banning e-scooters from all of its campuses after two students were involved in accidents, including one on the way to school.
On May 14, Arvin Union School District Superintendent Georgia Rhett sent a letter to parents after a student riding an e-scooter was involved in an accident on the way to school.
"We've had two accidents on our school sites where students are driving recklessly and unfortunately come in contact with a vehicle not to the driver of the vehicles cause," Rhett said.
The letter stated that e-scooters driven by students will no longer be allowed on any Arvin Union campus — following California Vehicle Code, which prohibits anyone under 16 from operating a motorized scooter on public roads, bike paths, or sidewalks.
The district includes 3 elementary schools and one middle school. All students are under the age of 16.
Rhett said the accidents prompted the district to act quickly.
"Having to call an ambulance at 7:30-8 in the morning is not the way anyone wants to start their day. And anyone who's seen the effects of traumatic brain injury, or sadly, the fatal effects of a motorcycle accident, it's not something we want to put any student in the position of getting encountered," Rhett said.
Rhett said discovering the vehicle code reinforced the district's decision.
"To find out that there actually is a vehicle code which doesn't allow students under sixteen children under sixteen to drive any scooter and so we immediately thought about student safety, what we can control, we can't enforce the vehicle code, but we can control what students bring to campus," Rhett said.
She also pointed to a lack of formal training as a concern.
"None of those students yet, at their age, have gone through driver's training like you would to drive a motorcycle or a car. And so there's just some reckless young behaviors that we want to be able to support the drivers on the road true not having to contend with that during drop off and pickup," Rhett said.
Parent Emma Pereida-Martinez, who has a 4th and 6th grader in the district, said she supports the move even though her children do not have e-scooters.
"The schools being very transparent with the information that they're giving us. And so as parents, we really need to take key to that and, you know, and take that into consideration as we move forward, because we want what's best for our students, and we don't want any accidents to happen," Pereida-Martinez said.
Rhett said the district is doing everything it can to promote student safety, but that parental involvement is essential.
"I would encourage all parents to really be aware of the vehicle code before you buy it or give it to your student, because the police department has mentioned that they might be sighting. And then for us on the campuses, it will just be one of the items that we don't allow students to bring to campus," Rhett said.
Rhett said she has received positive feedback from parents following the announcement.
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