Newport Beach schools begin new year with e-bike ban for younger students

Students returning to school in Newport Beach are facing a new rule this year that changes how many of them get to campus.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District has implemented a ban on e-bikes for kindergarten through eighth-grade students on school campuses. The policy took effect with the start of the 2026-27 school year.

At Ensign Intermediate School, the change was noticeable on the first day of classes. More students arrived on traditional bicycles, skateboards or on foot.

The district's decision comes after growing concerns in the community about the number of e-bikes around schools and the safety risks associated with them.

Crossing guards said the difference was significant compared with previous school years, when large groups of students on e-bikes would leave campus at the same time.

Some parents said the new policy creates transportation challenges, particularly for families that relied on e-bikes to get their children to school.

Others said they support the change, citing concerns about safety and the opportunity to encourage students to use traditional bicycles instead.

Students who arrive on e-bikes and are unaware of the new policy are being directed to check in with the school office.

Newport-Mesa Unified says the ban applies to younger students, while e-bikes remain permitted at high school campuses.

School board members say student safety is the primary reason for the policy as communities across California continue to deal with concerns about e-bike crashes and injuries involving young riders.

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