Board adopts revised Policy JICK to comply with new NH bullying law

What happened

The board approved updated Policy JICK (Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention) to align with revised New Hampshire bullying law requirements effective July 1, including a new 48-hour parent notification requirement after a bullying report and expanded definitions of bullying that increase documentation and investigation burdens on staff.

Why it matters to families

The change imposes new mandatory timelines and documentation requirements on school staff for handling bullying complaints, directly affecting family notification procedures and administrative workload, with board members raising concerns about administrative burden and lack of clear consequences.

The evidence

"A motion was made by Mr. Wiggett, seconded by Ms. Kerman, to approve Policy JICK with the change of 'principal' to 'designee'... Dr. Fisher called for a vote on the motion. Mr. Wiggett: AYE, Dr. Fisher: AYE, Mr. Ellis: NAY, Mrs. Smith: AYE, Ms. Kerman: AYE. The motion passed."

The source