Central Bucks families heading into the 2026-27 school year have a new free resource covering rights that shifted under recent state and federal laws.
The Education Law Center of Pennsylvania (ELC-PA) released its annual Back to School Guide on Sept. 1 with 39 new and updated resources, bringing the total to about 100, the Bucks County Beacon reported. The guide is aimed at students, families and advocates statewide, but several topics land squarely on issues Central Bucks parents have tracked: special-education services, Title IX obligations and new anti-discrimination protections.
Of the 39 additions, ELC-PA published 12 entirely new resources and updated 27 others to reflect changes in federal and state law, according to a press release distributed by the River Reporter.
Key topics
IEP meetings. New materials walk families of students with disabilities through Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings and explain how to secure required services. The guide also includes a fillable form families can submit to request an IEP meeting with their school.
Title IX. Updated resources outline students' rights and schools' obligations under the federal sex-discrimination law.
The Crown Act. Pennsylvania's Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act took effect Jan. 24. The law amends the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to specify that "race" includes traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles like locs, braids, twists, Bantu knots and afros, according to a McGuireWoods legal alert. It also covers religious head coverings. The guide explains how those protections apply inside schools.
Transgender athletes. The U.S. Supreme Court in late June upheld laws in West Virginia and Idaho barring transgender girls from girls' sports teams, the Guardian reported. The ruling was narrow: justices said those states could maintain their laws but did not call for a national ban or address whether Title IX permits transgender girls to play on girls' teams. ELC-PA opposed the decision and urged any student concerned about a district policy limiting their ability to play sports to contact the organization.
Cyber charter schools. The guide adds new requirements for students attending virtual and cyber charter programs.
Practical tools for families
Beyond explanations of the law, the guide offers free, fillable self-advocacy forms. Families can use them to request an attendance-record correction, convene an IEP meeting, document concerns or file administrative complaints.
"Our Back to School Guide makes complex and rapidly changing laws and policies easier to understand," Deborah Gordon Klehr, ELC-PA's executive director, said in the organization's announcement. "It gives families, students, and child-serving professionals practical tools they can use to advocate for children."
Central Bucks' own Family Handbook, which covers equal-opportunity protections, special education services and Title IX procedures, is also available on the district's website. CB East, CB South and CB West hold Back to School Night on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
