Colonial School District will update its bullying policies to comply with a new state law that extends cyberbullying rules beyond school grounds.

Karen Berk, the district's director of pupil services, outlined the coming changes at a Community Relations committee meeting on Monday, Sept. 14. Committee Chair Sharon Marino called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. The updates stem from Act 20 of 2026, which Gov. Josh Shapiro signed into law on July 12 as part of the state budget.

Berk told board members the policy revisions will cover three areas: a broader definition of cyberbullying that includes off-campus incidents affecting the school day, provisions addressing AI-generated or modified material, and tighter rules for investigating and reporting incidents.

The law changes what Colonial's roughly 5,700 students are covered by. About 5,700 students across Conshohocken, Plymouth and Whitemarsh townships returned to Colonial schools on Aug. 31, according to The Reporter. Under the previous code, cyberbullying policies focused on conduct tied to school property or school-sponsored activities. Act 20 now covers electronic harassment that happens off campus, as long as it is directed at a student, is severe, persistent or pervasive, and interferes with education, creates a threatening environment or substantially disrupts school operations, according to a legal analysis by KingSpry.

The law also adds AI-generated or modified media to the definition of cyberbullying. School administrators statewide must now track and report AI-involved incidents in their annual safety reports.

"The changes will be related to three areas — a new definition for cyberbullying that would include off-campus incidents that affect the school day; the generation of AI material; and refinements to the mandatory investigation and reporting procedures," Berk said at the meeting.

Board Vice President Gail Plant asked whether student handbooks would need revisions. Superintendent Michael Christian said the handbooks are online and can be updated easily. He added that the community would be notified.

No public comment was offered at the Sept. 14 meeting, which adjourned at 7:31 p.m. The full Colonial School District Board of Directors meets Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. at Colonial Elementary School. Whether the policy updates will appear on that agenda has not been confirmed.