Homebound Instruction/Alternative Educational Services
Homebound services are provided for medical reasons or when the IEP team determines that the student must receive alternate special education services at home for a specific period of time.

Procedures for Students Requiring Homebound Instruction for Medical Reasons:

1. The school nurse will take the request from the physician then send an application to the physician/psychiatrist for a signature.

2. Send the completed application form to the secretary at the Home Instruction Office at St. Andrews, (293-8923) that will coordinate and process the information.

Procedures for Students Requiring Homebound Instruction as an Alternative Special Education Service:

In rare cases, an IEP team may determine that a student’s special education needs must be met at home for a specified length of time. This may be due to a serious behavior problem, mental health problem, or other factors that pose a serious threat or injury to the student and/or others. It is the responsibility of the IEP team in the student’s current setting to write an IEP and arrange for the homebound service as soon as possible. The student cannot begin homebound services until parent provides informed consent for the change in placement.


1. When homebound service is being considered for a student, a Notice of a Team Meeting along with the Notice of Procedural Safeguards must be sent to the parent to hold an IEP team meeting. The purpose of the IEP team meeting is to develop a new IEP for homebound service.

2. A new IEP must be written to include:

A new federal setting VIII for services provided in the home.

The special education service that will be provided, the provider and the minutes/session or day. A minimum of one hour/day of service must be provided. The date that the service is put into effect. The anticipated duration of the homebound service must also be written on the IEP. Specify the ending date for the homebound service.

The LRE statement must be written to describe the reasons why homebound service is necessary.

Goals and objectives that will be worked on at home for the duration of the homebound IEP. It may not be possible to work on all the goals and objectives that are included in the current IEP. The IEP team must decide which goal(s) and objectives will be worked on at home.

Address any “Adaptations”, Extended School Year, standardized testing and Profile of Learning needs that the student has.

3. The parent must provide consent on the Notice of Proposed Special Education Service or wait 14 calendar days. If the parent does not attend the IEP meeting, the IEP team should still write the IEP (as long as the other required members of the team are present). The Case Manager should make the attempts to obtain the signature and after 14 calendar days, the service provider should contact the family to begin service. It is important that special education service does not lapse for the student. Be sure to develop an IEP and be prepared to provide the service even if the parent has not given consent.

Procedures for Arranging Homebound Instruction:

1. If homebound instruction is needed for medical reasons, the school nurse will take the request from physician/psychiatrist, then send an application to the doctor verifying the student’s need for homebound instruction. A physician’s signature is required to initiate homebound services for a medical reason.

2. For homebound instruction due to special education needs, the principal at the student’s school assigns a staff person to provide the home instruction. The staff person must hold a special education teaching license and be registered either as a teacher with the SPPS or as a district substitute teacher. When no staff is available at the school, contact the secretary at the Home Instruction office (293-8923) for assistance. Teachers are paid on an hourly basis at the evening school rate as described in the contract.

3. The principal completes the “Teaching and Learning Department, Special Education Programs” form and sends it to Human Resources with the name of the teacher providing the homebound service and the name of the student.

4. The teacher provides services based on IEP at a neutral location. Service is provided only on days that school is in session, not holidays.


Gathering Lessons at the school:

1. It is the student’s former home school’s responsibility to collect assignments that the homebound teacher needs to carry out.

2. The homebound teacher needs to complete forms available at each school for reporting the service provided.

3. The homebound teacher must obtain a parent signature on the Parent Authorization form, send the completed form to the secretary at the Home Instruction Office at St. Andrews.

4. Complete and submit a separate time sheet at the end of every pay period to the building principal.

5. Complete the student record form.

6. When the student returns to school, the student record form is sent to the Home Instruction Office. If it is a secondary student, grades should be submitted to the school counselor and a copy sent to the Home Instruction Office.