VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Volusia County Schools has approved updates to the district's disciplinary rules for vaping.
The school board met Tuesday and unanimously approved changes to the district's Code of Student Conduct and Discipline policy.
New vaping disciplinary action
The changes outline a tiered approach to punishing students who are caught vaping.
Under the new rules, students who are caught vaping for the first time will be required to complete a district-approved vape education course.
Students would also face other disciplinary actions, such as in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension or placement in an alternative education setting.
If a student fails to complete the course within 45 days, the student will be assigned to alternative education or off-campus instruction for 45 days, according to the policy.
Additional violations of the vaping policy will result in the 45-day assignment to alternative education and off-campus instruction.
The previous policy also listed expulsion as one of the disciplinary actions students could face for breaking the vaping rules, but the new policy doesn't mention that option.
Schools grapple with vaping
The policy change comes as schools continue to deal with student vaping.
Some districts, like Brevard County Schools, have installed vape detectors to deter students from vaping in bathrooms.
According to the Florida Department of Health's Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, an estimated 27.8.4% of high school students have vaped in 2024. The same survey said about 13.1% of middle school students had in the same year.
Read the updated Code of Student Conduct and Discipline policy
The Source: This story was written with information shared during a Volusia County Schools meeting on Sept. 8, 2026, and documents released by the school district.