Category: News

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Two Student Speech Cases in a Week (June 17, 2026)

The U.S. Supreme Court (Court) declined to hear two free speech cases brought against school districts within a week. Most recently, on June 15, 2026 the Court rejected a petition in E.D. v. Noblesville School District, which was brought on behalf of an Indiana high school student whose flyers promoting an anti-abortion school club’s meetups were rejected by school administrators because they contained images of students with “Defund Planned Parenthood” and other signage. The district court where the lawsuit was initially filed and the U.S. 7th Court of Appeals both decided in favor of the school district, and the Court’s rejection of the case means those decisions stay in place.

Previously, on June 8, 2026 the Court rejected another free speech case out of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. That case, C.S. v. Craig McCrumb, began in 2022 when a then-3rd grade student wore a black baseball cap depicting an AR-15-style rifle and the phrase “COME AND TAKE IT” to school for Wear a Hat Day. In that case, school officials believed wearing weapon imagery is never appropriate in school and they made the student remove it and the appeals court later ruled in favor of the school district.

For more from K-12 Dive, click here.

PDE’s Refugee Education Program Provides Advocacy for Immigrant Students and Their Families (June 10, 2026)

The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Refugee Education Program offers advocacy for a special population of students and parents who otherwise may not have support. A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their home country due to war, violence, persecution, or natural disaster. Refugee students often face significant challenges—language barriers, discrimination, disrupted education, and trauma from displacement—that can impact their experiences in the classroom.

PDE’s Refugee Education Program Presents “Legal Rights of Immigrant Students in Pennsylvania Schools”

You can receive a recorded legal overview and best practices to create a school environment that respects the rights of immigrant students, and an update on the status of national legal challenges that could impact schools serving immigrant students. In January 2025, the U.S. government rescinded the longstanding “Sensitive Locations” policy, which has resulted in disruptions at schools. The video covers immigrant students’ rights in enrollment, attendance, non-discrimination, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protections, and warrant requirements for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at schools. We will review a model Welcoming Schools policy and protocol.

Click to Watch legal “Rights of Immigrants”

Supporting Students Distressed by ICE Actions

In times of heightened immigration enforcement activity, schools often become the emotional anchor for students who feel afraid, confused, or unsafe. For many children – whether undocumented themselves, part of mixed-status families, or simply empathetic peers – news of ICE actions can trigger significant distress.

Schools cannot control federal policy, but they can shape how students experience safety, belonging, and stability during uncertain moments. The role school staff play is to ensure that campuses function as protective, supportive environments where every student has the opportunity to learn without fear.

Click here to access a guidance document from the national Center for MH in Schools & Student/Learning Supports at UCLA.

‘Unauthorized’ Immigrant HS Grads Face Uncertain Future

Narrowing federal and state policies are fueling uncertainty about life after graduation for “unauthorized” immigrant students in high school, according to a new analysis from the Migration Policy Institute. For instance, most of today’s high-schoolers cannot qualify for the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which delays the deportation of people without documentation who came to the U.S. as children. Under DACA’s age and residency requirements, the Migration Policy Institute said that no one under the age of 18 could qualify as of 2025 — even if new applicants were still being accepted.

Meanwhile, some states have recently rolled back policies that allowed unauthorized immigrant students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Texas, for instance, reversed course on a 24-year-old policy in 2025 in a move expected to affect tens of thousands of students.

Report: School Nurses Face Unstable Work Conditions and Burnout and NASN Sounds Alarm (June 10, 2026)

Recently, Lynn Nelson, board president of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), said that budget cuts are increasing the likelihood of school nurses being laid off and, as a result, only 8% of school nurses plan to stay in the education sector until they retire and 71% expect to keep working in schools for just six more years or less. The comments were made in light of according to a report released in April by Soliant Health, a healthcare staffing provider.

In addition, preliminary survey findings from the NASN show that 66% of school nurses plan to stay in schools for three to five years and, among those who planned to leave, 65% said they would retire. Such retention rate data is raising red flags about the stability of the school nursing workforce and employees’ ability to sustainably take care of students. 

In fact, it was found that current staffing shortages are the biggest factor cited by school nurses for burnout. Other contributors include student behavioral problems, high caseloads, safety concerns and administrative demands.

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First Distribution of $103 Million in SUN Bucks Funding to Feed Children Over Summer Break (June 10, 2026)

On June 8, 2026, the Shapiro Administration began distributing $103 million in summer food assistance benefits for eligible children as part of the SUN Bucks program, a federally funded summer benefit that helps families have fresh food and groceries while schools are closed. As part of this first round of funding, families of approximately 860,000 children who are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks can expect to receive benefits starting this week.

SUN Bucks is a federal program that provides eligible children’s families with a SNAP-like benefit to purchase food for the summer months when school is not in session. Most eligible children will receive the benefit automatically and do not need to apply, including children who already receive free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the school year.

Benefits are issued to families in one issuance for the entire summer. Most Summer 2026 issuances will occur in June and July for children who are automatically eligible. Additional issuances above the initial $103 million in benefits will occur on a rolling basis from July through September depending on when PA DHS receives individual applications and information on eligible families from school districts.

Households that need to apply to receive a benefit for Summer 2026 can apply using the application online through August 31. Families can use the SUN Bucks Eligibility Navigator to see if they need to complete an application. Applications can be submitted anytime throughout the year, but the deadline to apply for Summer 2026 is August 31, 2026. Applications received after that date will be considered for SUN Bucks 2027 next summer.

Last summer, more than 5.6 million meals were served at 2,110 summer meal sites. Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal includes funding for universal free school breakfast for a fourth consecutive year, helping to ensure Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million students continue to receive free breakfast at school, regardless of income. During the 2024-25 school year, Pennsylvania schools served nearly 93 million breakfasts to students — a 13.8 percent increase over two years.

FCC to Conduct Complete Review of E-Rate, Could Have Serious Affect on Disabled Kids (June 6, 2026)

According to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr in a June 3, 2026 statement, increased screen time for students shows a need for action, including cutting back on screen time. As a result, Reuters reports that, as part of its review, the FCC is considering reforming or ending the three-decade-old E-Rate program altogether as part of its review.

However, calls to scale back screen time in schools have some organizations and education researchers urging a more restrained approach to the issue, including consideration regarding the quality and purpose of technology use, since many students with disabilities rely on assistive technology for learning, communication and health reasons. Thus, limiting screen time in schools could hinder access to devices that students with disabilities rely on for individualized services and accommodations.

In fact, according to the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, students with disabilities have difficulty accessing the assistive technology they need could run afoul of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) since under IDEA qualifying students with disabilities are guaranteed access to assistive technology if their individualized education program team determines they would benefit from certain tools, devices, and technology. In addition, students with disabilities might also qualify for accommodations and services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Also, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all programs and services.

On June 25, 2026, the FCC will vote on the proposal, which will be posted for public comment on various aspects of the program.

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For more from Reuters, click here.