School board approves multiple policy updates, reverts transport language to RSA wording

The Bedford School Board approved a package of policy actions at its Jan. 12 meeting, voting to accept several second‑read items, withdraw policies identified as procedures, and defer one policy’s final text until a specific clause is restored to statutory language.

Key actions: the board voted to approve policy EBBCA and EHLB; approved withdrawing GBGBA, JLCEA, KFD and GBN because those documents are procedures rather than board policy; approved policy FAA; and approved policy IC. The board also moved to approve policy GB EBB (employee/student relations) on the condition that item 14 be reverted to the exact RSA (state statute) language regarding staff accompaniment or transport of minors to medical or mental‑health appointments.

About item 14: board members and staff explained the change arose from concerns about wording that previously read as a set of prohibitions; the recommended fix was to adopt RSA or NHSBA model language explicitly exempting emergency ambulance transport and clarifying that staff should not transport or accompany a minor to health‑related appointments without parent/guardian permission. Several trustees urged the district to use the RSA text verbatim to avoid ambiguity.

Procedural notes: motions were made and seconded on the floor and members called for a final vote after confirming the contingent change on item 14 would be included in materials for the next meeting. The board’s approvals were recorded in the meeting minutes; specific roll‑call tally numbers were not read into the record during the meeting.

Provenance: See the board’s policy review and motions beginning at SEG 464 and concluding around SEG 889.