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Guest Announcer: Hi, I'm John Mina, Orange County Sheriff. Welcome to Mondays with Mina. I mean Maria.

Announcer: Presented by Edition Financial Credit Bureau. Here's our OCPS superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Maria Vazquez: Hi everyone. Tomorrow is the first day of school, and in case you missed it, we held our annual Back-to-School Safety News Conference to bring you up to date on what you need to know for the start of the 2026-27 school year. Take a look.

Scott Howat, Chief Communications Officer: The 2026-27 year begins here in Orange County on Tuesday, August 11th.

Teresa Jacobs, School Board Chair: We are so excited to welcome our students and our staff back for the 26-27 school year. Their efforts and the achievements of our students have once again earned Orange County Public Schools an “A” rating from the Florida Department of Education. This marks the third consecutive year that OCPS has been marked an “A” school district. While our traditional high schools achieved an outstanding 97.2%. We also have more students enrolled in career and technical education programs than ever before. 60,000 students, with close to 10,000 industry certifications earned. That one mill special millage will be up for renewal this November in the general election. This funding is absolutely essential to our district's financial stability, providing support for more than 2,000 teaching positions.

Dr. Maria Vazquez: We will have 208 schools this upcoming school year. We have added two new ones, Innovation Elementary and Ovation Elementary School. The district is projecting 197,548 students for the 2026-27 school year. Last year, we had to consolidate seven of our schools. This year, we have no plans to consolidate any additional schools. Through our partnership with KESA K-12, the district brought back more than 1,800 students last year, and we continue to encourage former families to return to our district. As always, when we welcome our students and staff back to our campuses, safety and security are always a top priority. Many of you have covered the recent decision by the school board to prohibit micro-mobility devices, also known as e-bikes and e-scooters, from school property. The only students allowed to bring a micro-mobility device on campus are high school students who have a driver's learner's permit or a valid driver's license with an approved decal from their school.

Dr. Maria Vazquez: We encourage parents to check ParentSquare for information from the district and their school regarding e-bikes and e-scooters. There will be a grace period to start the year. Enforcement of the restrictions on electronic transportation devices will not take place until after Labor Day, Tuesday, September 8th. Although our elementary and middle schools will not have these devices on property, we know students may still be riding them in our community. So, we're kicking off the Paws and Protect Program. Take a look.

Coco, Paws and Protect: Hey Kelli, what's with the helmet?

Kelli, Paws and Protect: Well, Coco, thanks for asking. These helmets are approved micro-mobility helmets.

Coco, Paws and Protect: Micro- what?

Kelli, Paws and Protect: Micro-Mobility, Coco. That is the term used for e-bikes and e-scooters. Oh,

Coco, Paws and Protect: That's right, Kelly. When riding an e-scooter or e-bike, we must always wear approved safety helmets.

Kelli, Paws and Protect: Now what's another useful safety tip? Stop.

Coco, Paws and Protect: Pay close attention to road safety signs, traffic lights, and crossing lights. Wow,

Kelli, Paws and Protect: Coco, good work. We can't forget. Slow down. Be aware of pedestrians and other riders.

Coco, Paws and Protect: You better be careful next time you get the Zoomies, Kelly.

Sheriff John Mina, Orange County Sheriff: For those students who will be allowed to go to school because they have a driver's license or a learner's permit, you still need to follow the safety rules just like anyone else on the roadway. So, we are going to be looking for kids who are driving unsafely or recklessly or speeding, or not stopping at stop signs. We're going to take this very, very seriously. It's another reminder, especially to our students, that it is not a laughing matter. It's not a joke to post something on social media, especially if we're bullying someone or threatening someone. It could end up with you in handcuffs.

Chief Eric Smith, Orlando Police Department: Another big thing I want to stress is when driving around schools next week, we'll have our motor unit out there, our traffic enforcement units out there. Please slow down in school zones and around schools. Let's all work together to keep our kids safe.

Chief Bryan Holmes, OCPS District Police: For students, families, and staff, the message remained the same. If you see something, you know something, you need to say something. Students, if you're at school, report threats and concerning behaviors to a trusted adult on your campus as soon as possible. Of course, Fortify FL remains available on all of our student devices and can also be accessed online by Parents at Home at GetFortifyFL.com. As Superintendent Vasquez frequently says, keeping our students and staff safe is our top priority. That priority guides our work every day at Orange County Public Schools, District Police, and with all of our law enforcement partners and our administrators.

Dr. Maria Vazquez: I hope everyone has a great first day of school tomorrow. Stay tuned to our social media pages to see who I visited to kick off the new school year. Be sure to like, follow, and subscribe. Coming up on the podcast, the top three things you may not know about e-bikes and e-scooters. You don't want to miss that. Have a great week.

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic, listen to the Mondays with Maria Podcast, available wherever you get your podcast. Mondays with Maria is presented by Audition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step on your financial journey. Learn more at Additionfi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer, Jamir Jones, a student at OCPS. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.