Blue Valley elementary and middle school students will have to leave their electric bikes and scooters at home starting Jan. 1.
The district plans to ban all motorized rides on those campuses, according to the district's chief communications officer, as KCTV5 reported. The officer said the change is happening and that there is no board vote. The Blue Valley Board of Education was scheduled to hear a report on the decision at its 5:30 p.m. meeting Monday, Nov. 9.
Under the ban, elementary and middle school students could not have or ride motorized bikes, scooters or motos on district property. Traditional bikes and nonmotorized scooters would still be allowed and encouraged.
The district cited students speeding on sidewalks and riding on elementary playgrounds. Arrival and dismissal are the riskiest times, the district said, when cars and scooters share the same space.
Fox4KC reported that unsafe behavior also included collisions with vehicles resulting in injuries, students weaving through school traffic, popping wheelies near crossings and fleeing from police. Vandalism of playground surfaces was also flagged.
The district said it tried teaching students how to ride safely, but the problems did not go away.
Permits didn't solve it
Blue Valley started requiring student permits for motorized vehicles about 14 months ago. Parents signed off on safe-driving expectations, and schools issued numbered stickers for each bike or scooter. There was no charge for the permit.
The Johnson County Post reported in September 2025 that about 1,000 permit stickers had been issued at that time. Dan Carney, executive director of safety and security for the district, called that a good sign of cooperation.
But incidents kept happening. One collision during dismissal traffic left a teacher with a broken elbow, the Johnson County Post reported. E-vehicles were also driven onto an elementary school playground and a soccer field while players were on it, Carney said in that report.
A parent's view
Blue Valley parent Rebekah Heitshusen told KCTV5 she watched a boy crash an e-scooter on the last day of school, in the road right outside her home, and the boy broke his arm.
Heitshusen said she would support a ban on students riding e-scooters to school. "We have to set some guidelines in place for these scooters," she said.
What families need to know
The district plans to send ongoing reminders to families before the Jan. 1 change takes effect. Bus transportation information will also be available for families who need alternatives.
