Gavin Grimm, a transgender male high school student in Virginia, convinced the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that he must be allowed to use the men’s bathroom at school; however, the Supreme Court recently issued a stay, which is to say to Grimm, “Let’s wait a minute; is this really required by federal law?”

As schools attempt to navigate the varied, and often conflicting, views and authorities regarding transgender students’ use of bathrooms and locker rooms, one thing all sides can agree on is that clear guidance from SCOTUS would help schools know where they stand. That guidance may be coming next term. This is particularly true now that a federal district court in Texas has disagreed with the Fourth Circuit.

As the 2016-2017 school year begins, school administrators across the country brace themselves for the host of issues that every new school year brings. In recent years, a new issue has been added to this list of school district worries: guns on campus.

Spurred by tragedies like Columbine, Newtown and other school shootings, gun legislation has captured news headlines and divided legislatures. In contrast to the expansive federal Gun Free Schools legislation passed in the 1990s, more states are now debating—and sometimes passing—laws that allow “open carry” in certain public places or that also expand the areas in which permit holders may carry concealed weapons.

The U.S. Department of Education recently released guidance to school districts regarding new provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (“ESSA” or the “Act”) that address the support of homeless students. The guidance provides a summary of the required protections for homeless children and recommendations for school districts. The Education for Homeless Children and Youth program was originally authorized in 1987 and recently re-authorized as part of ESSA. The new provisions in the Act were prompted in part by growth in the number of homeless children enrolled in U.S. public schools. During the 2013-2014 academic year, there were more than 1.3 million homeless children enrolled. States and school districts must begin implementing these requirements by October 1, 2016.