The Bedford School Board reviewed proposed updates to school handbooks at its Aug. 11 meeting that principals said respond to recent state and federal guidance and to priorities raised in district leadership meetings.

Principals highlighted several changes. Bedford High School principal Dan Morris said the handbook now includes expanded language about "deepfakes" — synthetic or altered media — and that the high school version contained more comprehensive examples and guidance than other schools; the district will link the policy text to the handbooks and present a consistent message to students.

The high school handbook also adds clarity on academic-work submission (students should submit assignments using their school Google account), raises expectations that students connect to the school network rather than personal mobile hotspots, and includes new consequences for vaping: students who violate vaping rules would complete 10 hours of community service or, if the school year timing makes that impractical, complete a substantial research project and present it to staff.

Superintendent Mike Fournier briefed the board on a federal audit of New Hampshire's reporting rules and said the U.S. Department of Education will count only those students who complete the district's 24-credit high-school diploma toward federal graduation-rate calculations; students who complete alternate programs or 20-credit HiSET options will still earn district diplomas, but the federal calculation will use the full-credit cohort.

Principals also said they added operational items to their handbooks: an elementary "Lion Block" (a daily targeted-intervention period), an expanded "clear-the-hallway" protocol used when privacy or medical emergencies require quick movement, and clearer volunteer confidentiality language, including guidance on social-media posting about school events.

The handbooks were presented for review; principals said specific policies required by statute (for example, a parental bill-of-rights statement and a separate cell-phone policy) will be added after the board finalizes those policies. The board did not take an approving vote on the handbooks Aug. 11; principals said they will include any board-approved statutory items before distribution to families.