Homebound Instruction Procedures

Homebound placement is instruction provided at home, hospital, or related site to children with disabilities. The purpose of homebound instruction is to provide medically involved students, both long-term and short-term, with a program of academic instruction. Such instruction is provided so that the student's time of confinement need not be a loss of educational experience, nor academic credit.  For long-term illnesses, such instruction is made available so that the student may participate in a planned, sequential, educational program designed to meet his/her individual needs at home or in the hospital. The result should be an educational program parallel to the one provided in the school setting.

Eligible students are provided instruction parallel to the instructional program currently offered in the typical classroom situation for his/her age and/or grade level as determined by the homebound teacher, parent, and school personnel. Adjustment in such curriculum and instruction will be made upon the recommendations of the homebound teacher in accordance with the individualized needs of each student.

Homebound instruction is one of the most restrictive educational placements for school-age children and is only appropriate when a disabled student's physical or mental condition makes placement with other students prohibitive. Homebound instruction is not to be confused with home schooling. A homebound student is a child who has a medically diagnosed physical or mental disabling condition or health impairment that confines the child to a home or hospital and whose activities are restricted for a minimum of ten (10) consecutive school days.

The following procedures will be followed for Homebound Services for Cumberland County School students:

  1. Homebound forms requesting homebound services for a student must be received from a doctor. Date of services can begin no earlier than date of doctor's signature on form. Any homebound forms received to schools should be faxed or sent to the Homebound/SPED office the day they are received.
  2. All forms must be complete and approved by Homebound Director, including parent signatures on the homebound application procedures form, prior to services being provided.
  3. A copy of all homebound forms will be sent back to the school attendance clerk. For students on an IEP or Section 504 Plan, a copy of the homebound form will be sent back to the student's special education case manager to place with the current IEP or Section 504 Plan.
  4. For Special Education Students, an IEP or Section 504 Team at the school will meet on an individual basis to determine what services a student needs after the following are met:
    - only upon certification by a licensed doctor of medicine or osteopathy that a child with a disability needs a homebound placement,
    - the child is expected to be absent from school due to a physical or mental condition for at least ten (10) consecutive school days, and
    - the child can receive homebound instruction in a homebound placement without endangering the health of personnel providing it.
  5. For students suspected of having a disability, the District will conduct an evaluation prior to determining eligibility for a 504 plan. If a student is determined eligible for a 504 plan while on homebound, a 504 plan will be developed by the homebound instructor, classroom teacher, parent, and school 504 coordinator. A copy of the 504 plan will be sent back to the home school Section 504 Coordinator.
  6. Homebound services must be reviewed every thirty days and a new doctor's note received. Special Education students placed on homebound for behavior may only receive homebound services for one thirty day period in a school year.
  7. Prior to the student returning to school, another IEP meeting or 504 meeting will be held to transition the student back to school and determine if services or accommodations will be needed. 504 plans may be terminated at that time if no additional accommodations or services are needed. If the student continues to need a 504 plan, then it will be turned over to the school level 504 Coordinator. The school 504 Coordinator will be responsible for distributing the plan to teachers and scheduling an annual review of the 504 plan, or more frequent as needed.